[Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in cholecysto-choledocholithiasis. "Therapeutic splitting" or conventional surgical...

In a prospective study the impact of preoperative, selective endoscopic cholangiography (ERC/P) and therapy was evaluated in 586 consecutive patients with symptomatic gallstone disease in respect of biliary pathology and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (n = 520). Exclusion criteria for the admission to the study were previous gastric surgery, necrotizing cholecystitis and gallbladder perforation. Because of presumed pathology on ultrasound, suggestive for common bile duct stones or papillary stenosis 59 patients (11.3%) had preoperative ERC/P. In all patients with calculi (n = 40) endoscopic stone removal was successfully performed with/without sphincterotomy (EPT), in three cases of clinically relevant stenosis EPT was indicated. Morbidity was 1.6% after ERC/EPT, in the endoscopic group operative morbidity and mortality was zero. In the non-endoscopic group (n = 461) sixteen complications occurred, although none could have been avoided by preoperative cholangiography. Two patients showed retained calculi (0.3%), missed by preoperative diagnostics. Both cases were successfully treated by ERC. Intraoperative cholangiograms were not done routinely (11%). In conclusion, we think, that selective, preoperative ERC/P, EPT and stone removal--if necessary--facilitate a very low morbidity and mortality in the laparoscopic treatment of complicated gallstone disease. By means of the "therapeutical splitting" the conversion to open bile duct surgery with all its higher morbidity and mortality can be eradicated. Also, only a few of the endoscopically operating hospitals already provide equipment for laparoscopic bile duct revision, not to talk about the gifted and experienced surgeons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)