[Intraoperative cholangiography: its value in simple cholelithiasis]

The present study evaluates the benefits of systematic intraoperative cholangiography (CIO) in 144 patients without preoperative suspicion of choledocholithiasis. Eleven (7.6%) of the intraoperative cholangiographies were considered abnormal by the surgeon and the presence of choledocholithiasis (3/11, 27%) was confirmed in only three cases. Pathology of the main bile duct that had been unsuspected preoperatively was found in only 2% (3/144). We conclude that routine intraoperative cholangiography of patients without preoperative suspicion of choledocholithiasis increases the cost of surgery, prolongs operative time, exposes the patient to radiation and sometimes yields false positives (5%) that lead to unnecessary exploration of the choledochus, which is accompanied by a potential increase in morbidity and a real prolongation of the postoperative hospital stay.