[Endoscopic therapy of biliary tract diseases]

Endoscopy plays a dominant role in the diagnosis and treatment of biliary tract disease and disease of pancreas as well. The authors of the article present their own experience with the endoscopic treatment of these diseases which they have obtained since 1982 by performing endoscopic papilosphincterotomy in 2000 patients (1340 female and 660 male patients). The most common indication for this treatment was choledocholithiasis and benign stenosis of Vater's papila (or dysfunction of Oddi's sphincter). They succeeded in 97.9%, the worst results were in patients after the B II-resection of the stomach. The occurrence of complications was 3.4% in the entire group of patients, mortality was 0.5%. In the next part of the article the authors present other methods of treatment of choledocholithiasis and other diseases of biliary a pancreatic duct system (extraction of biliary stones, lithotripsy, biliary and pancreatic drainage). According to the literary data and own experience the endoscopic treatment of biliary diseases is highly effective and relatively safe when performed by experienced specialists. (Tab. 2, Ref. 16.)