Surgical strategy for recurrent common bile duct stones: a 10-year experience of a single center

Recurrence of common bile duct stones (CBDS) is common after surgical stone extraction, but the causes of recurrence are not fully understood. This study aimed to report the experience of treating recurrent CBDS. A total of 106 consecutive cases of recurrent CBDS treated from January 2006 to December 2015 were included. During surgery, the choledochoscopic pass-through test was performed to assess the structure and function of the duodenal papilla. The choledochoscopic pass-through test revealed 62 patients (58.49%) with incomplete closure of the lower end of the common bile duct, and 28 (26.42%) with stenosis at the lower common bile duct. Intra-operative bile bacterial culture was positive in 98 (92.45%) patients. The rate of complete stone clearance was 99.1%. The total recurrence rate of CBDS was 3.13%. The long-term success rate of surgical treatment (excellent and good) reached 92.7% .Duodenal papilla (Oddi sphincter) dysfunction is the main cause of recurrent CBDS. Common bile duct exploration with stone extraction, hilar ductoplasty, and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy can effectively eliminate the recurrence of CBDS and reduce the incidence of post-hepaticojejunostomy complications. Thus, it is an optimal surgical procedure for recurrent CBDS.