Application of combined rigid choledochoscope and accurate positioning method in the adjuvant treatment of bile duct stones.

To explore the clinical effect of percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotomy (PTCSL) combined with rigid choledochoscope and accurate positioning in the treatment of calculus of bile duct. This study retrospectively reviewed 162 patients with hepatolithiasis at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between 2001 and 2013 were assigned to hard lens group or traditional PTCSL group. Compared with the traditional PTCSL, PTCSL with rigid choledochoscope can shorten the interval time which limit the PTCSL application. The operation time (45 vs 78, P=0.003), the number of operation (1.62 vs 1.97, P=0.031), and blood loss (37.8 vs 55.1, P=0.022) were better in hard lens group while the stone residual and complication had no significant differences. Rigid choledochoscope is a safe, minimally invasive and effective method in the treatment of bile duct stones. Accurate positioning method can effectively shorten operation process time.