Surgical management of bile duct stones

The biliary surgeon in the 1990s must be familiar with all of the available techniques for the treatment of bile duct stones. Experience and judgment are important in the successful management of the individual patient with intrahepatic or extrahepatic stones. Knowledge of the nonsurgical methods of stone removal is important in the decision-making process. However, the biliary surgeon must resist the temptation to do less than a thorough removal of all stones at the operation lest the patient be subjected to additional procedures, which carry their own risks of morbidity and death. The goal should be to clear the stones from the biliary system with the fewest procedures offering the lowest morbidity and mortality risks to the patient.