Prospective evaluation in 121 consecutive unselected patients undergoing laparoscopic treatment of choledocholithiasis.

Laparoscopic common bile duct (CBD) exploration was attempted in 115 of 121 consecutive unselected patients with choledocholithiasis (mean age 69 (range 21-92) years) found during routine intraoperative cholangiography. The CBD was successfully cleared of all stones in 100 patients (87 per cent). Ten of 11 patients referred for surgery after failure of endoscopic sphincterotomy had complete laparoscopic choledocholithiasis. Eleven patients (10 per cent) required conversion to open CBD exploration, and laparoscopic exploration was not attempted in six (5 per cent) because of inflammation or fibrosis. Postoperative endoscopic sphincterotomy was required in four patients (4 per cent) for retained stones after laparoscopic exploration. There were no postoperative deaths (39 per cent of patients were aged 75 years or more). Routine intraoperative cholangiography, and when required laparoscopic CBD exploration, should be compared in randomized trials with preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiography in patients with suspected choledocholithiasis.