Postoperative choledochoscopy. A five-year experience

In a five-year period postoperative choledochoscopy was used in 85 consecutive patients for therapeutic or diagnostic interventions in the biliary tract. Seventy-three patients underwent postoperative choledochoscopy for removal of retained biliary stones; 67 (92%) had successful removal of 94 retained stones; in 11 stones were located in the intrahepatic ducts; in six postoperative choledochoscopy failed; and in 12 postoperative choledochoscopy was performed for diagnostic or other therapeutic reasons. No serious complications were encountered in this series. The advantage of this simple and effective technique over other instrumental or so-called radiologic techniques is discussed. In our opinion, postoperative choledochoscopy is now the method of choice for diagnostic and therapeutic (re)interventions in the biliary tract by patients with a T tube still in situ.