Protocol driven management of suspected common duct stones: A Southwestern Surgical Congress multi-centered trial

Several options exist for the diagnosis and management of suspected common duct stones. We hypothesized that a protocol-directed approach would shorten length of stay in this patient population.

Patients from four participating institutions with a peak bilirubin <4 mg/dL underwent surgery as the initial procedure, whereas patients with a bilirubin ≥4 mg/dL underwent endoscopy. The primary endpoint was length of stay. Analysis involved chi square and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test with significance at p < 0.05.

214 patients were managed under the protocol during six-month study period. 111 patients (52%) required endoscopy and surgery. Length of stay and the number of MRCPs performed pre-operatively significantly decreased following protocol implementation (p < 0.05).

"Surgery first" approach in patients with bilirubin <4 ml/dL resulted in low morbidity and mortality, reduced MRCP, and length of stay.