Common bile duct calculi. 2. Nonsurgical therapy

Several nonsurgical methods of therapy are available for treatment of retained common bile duct calculi. These include percutaneous extraction, endoscopic extraction, dissolution, and endoscopic sphincterotomy. The method chosen depends on location and size of calculi, size of sinus tract, patient age, surgical risks, and other factors. In most cases, procedures can be carried out safely and successfully with few or no complications.