Applications of choledochoduodenostomy in biliary tract obstruction.

Forty-three patients each underwent choledochoduodenostomy for distal biliary obstruction. The results were satisfactory for those patients with benign obstructions. Choledochoduodenostomy was complicated by recurrent biliary obstruction in five of 19 patients with obstructing neoplasms, and is generally a poor choice in those circumstances. Choledochoduodenostomy is a useful procedure for patients with benign distal biliary tract obstructions, particularly when dealing with elderly, poor-risk patients.