Cholecystectomy without routine operative cholangiography

A series of 1575 consecutive patients with cholelithiasis managed by cholecystectomy without operative cholangiography is presented. All operations were performed by one of our authors. Exploration of the bile ducts was performed in 185 (12%) patients. During the postoperative period there was evidence of retained calculi in three (1.6%) of the 185 patients. The incidence of remote calculi (those presenting at a time distant from cholecystectomy) was determined for patients undergoing cholecystectomy between 1963 and 1967. Follow up information was available on 258 (80%) of 321 patients. Clinical evidence of remote calculi was found in seven (2.7%) patients. The incidence of both retained and remote calculi was similar to that found in series where operative cholangiography was routine.