[Internal biliary drainage in benign diseases of the extrahepatic bile ducts]

Through analysis of a fairly large series of cases treated by internal biliary drainage for non-neoplastic disorders of the terminal choledochus and papilla (72 cases of choledochal anastomosis, mostly to the duodenum; 238 cases of surgery of the Oddi sphincter), the authors present a remarkable accurate picture of the indications for this kind of surgery and of the immediate and long-term results obtained with it. Their collected observations also provide an opportunity for comparison with published reports from other quarters; in particular, the authors offer a detailed discussion of the relative advantages and limitations of the two main procedures in this category, namely papillosphincterotomy and choledocoduodenal derivation. From their own experience and in good agreement with current dominant opinion, they conclude by recommending the last-named procedure as the most rewarding, provided that the indications be correct and the operation be done with the necessary technical accuracy.