[Endoscopic papillosphincterotomy in the treatment of stenosing papillitis and choledocholithiasis]

During the period 1982-1988 the author has performed 532 endoscopic papillosphincterotomies. In 288 patients (53.13%) the gall bladder had been previously surgically removed and they suffered from a well-expressed postcholecystectomy syndrome. In 73.6% of the 532 patients there were one or more stones in the main bile duct. In 76 patients a stenosing papillitis was found. The endoscopic papillosphincterotomy was performed mainly in patients over 65 years of age--244 patients (45.86%) suffering from various cardiovascular and other accompanying diseases which increase the risk of operation. The following complications following the endoscopic papillosphincterotomy occurred: bleedings--0.50, acute pancreatitis--3%, lethality--4 patients (0.75%), three patients died following perforation of the duodenal wall (in spite of the immediate surgical treatment) and one patient died from acute destructive hemorrhagic pancreatitis.