Partial liver resection in the treatment of intra-hepatic duct calculi

From Jan. 1980 to Dec. 1987, 53 patients with symptomatic intrahepatic stones were treated with hepatic resection. The indications for hepatic resections in our patients include: 1) stones located in an anatomic area, 2) extensive liver tissue damage or fibrosis, and 3) strictures of the intrahepatic bile ducts in the involved portion. The stones are located mainly on the left side. Lateral segmentectomy was performed in 31 patients. There was no operative mortality, and fourty-six patients were followed up for an average of 25 months. Results show that 67.4% were symptom free, 23.9% had occasional mild symptoms of cholangitis and 8.7% had severe cholangitis requiring further surgical intervention. The low morbidity and mortality of the operation and the good results reveal that hepatic resection is a safe and rewarding procedure in the treatment of some primary intrahepatic stones.