Operative choledochoscopy: common bile duct exploration is incomplete without it

This paper reviews the reported experience of operative choledochoscopy. Development of choledochoscopes to the currently available rigid and flexible instruments is described. The collected results of both rigid and flexible choledochoscopy are reported. Retained stones occurred in 97 of 2712 stone-positive explorations with the rigid choledochoscope (3.6 per cent) and in 35 of 1726 stone-positive explorations with the flexible choledochoscope (2.0 per cent). Choledochoscopy should now be a mandatory part of common bile duct exploration.     

Operative choledochoscopy in patients with acute cholangitis: a prospective, randomized study

A prospective, randomized evaluation of operative choledochoscopy was carried out during emergency surgery in patients with acute cholangitis or acute suppurative cholangitis when conservative management had failed. After common bile duct exploration, 79 patients were randomized to have choledochoscopy and 78 patients to the control group. Laboratory and clinical parameters showed that choledochoscopy did not increase the incidence of septicaemia, acute pancreatitis, persistent cholangitis, postoperative wound sepsis, intraperitoneal sepsis and hospital mortality. The incidence of retained common bile duct stones detected by T tube cholangiography performed in the second postoperative week was significantly reduced (P less than 0.01) after choledochoscopy. Choledochoscopy detected stones missed by conventional common bile duct exploration in ten patients. It is concluded that choledochoscopy is a safe and effective technique in patients with acute cholangitis and acute suppurative cholangitis.     

Choledochoscopy in exploration of the common bile duct

The technique of operative fibreoptic choledochoscopy is described; the results are reported in 88 patients with gallstones requiring exploration of the common bile duct. There were no cases of retained calculi that were endoscopically undetected. Postoperative T-tube cholangiography was carried out in 81 cases and confirmed the findings of operative biliary endoscopy in all cases. Choledochoscopy is an accurate and safe operative procedure which can eliminate the problem of undetected residual calculi.     

The Value of Choledochoscopy in Exploration of the Common Bile Duct

Direct visualization of the biliary tree using choledochoscopy has been recommended as a technique to improve the accuracy of common duct exploration. In several series the incidence of retained biliary calculi has been dramatically reduced using choledochoscopy, and some authors have reported the findings of other unsuspected benign and malignant lesions as well. During an eight-year period 288 patients underwent exploration of the common bile duct specifically for calculous disease. Operative rigid choledochoscopy was performed in 140 patients in this group, with 79 found to have choledocholithiasis; seven retained stones occurred in this group for an incidence of 8.9%. Routine common duct exploration in the other 148 patients revealed 67 to have choledocholithiasis; six retained stones occurred in this group for an incidence of 9.0%. Though there was no difference in the incidence of retained stones with or without choledochoscopy, 20 patients were found to have stones missed during routine exploration once the rigid choledochoscope was inserted. In addition to the obvious value of the choledochoscope in identifying and removing common duct stones, it was also found to be an aid in removing stones in the intra-hepatic ducts and in clarifying atypical anatomy. Other causes of biliary obstruction such as a liver fluke, benign polyp, benign strictures, and ductal carcinomas were identified by use of biopsy forceps inserted through the choledochoscope. It is recommended that routine choledochoscopy be performed during common duct explorations and that surgical training programs insure that residents learn the technique of operative choledochoscopy.     

Intraoperative flexible choledochoscopy for intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary calculi

This prospective study evaluates the use of intraoperative flexible choledochoscopy in the detection and removal of additional stones after conventional bile duct exploration. The biliary system of 109 patients was examined with an Olympus CHF-B4 choledochoscope after conventional methods of exploration. Sixty-five patients had only common duct stones and 44 patients had intrahepatic stones with or without stones in the common duct. Additional stones were detected in 11 patients (16.9%) in the group with common duct stones; eight of these patients had their stones completely removed. Unsuspected residual stones were discovered by means of postoperative cholangiography in three more patients (4.6%); thus the total number of patients with residual stones was six (9.2%). Additional stones were detected in 39 patients (88.6%) in the group with intrahepatic stones. Of these, only 13 patients managed to be freed of stones with the use of the choledochoscope. A further 10 patients underwent liver resection to achieve stone clearance. Unsuspected retained stones were found postoperatively in seven of the 28 patients (25%) whose biliary systems were considered clear of stones. The overall number of patients with retained stones in the group with intrahepatic stones was 23 (52.3%). We concluded that intraoperative flexible choledochoscopy is useful in detecting intrahepatic stones left behind after conventional exploration. However, complete removal of the stones is difficult to achieve.     

Laparoscopic choledochoscopy with a small-caliber endoscope

Incidental choledocholithiasis has been reported in 4–5% of cases during routine cholangiography. Many surgeons have resisted laparoscopic common bile duct exploration as a time-consuming and technically frustrating procedure, preferring to send the patient for postoperative ERCP. The purpose of this study was to objectively assess the safety, efficacy, and facility of transcystic duct choledochoscopy using a small-caliber choledochoscope with facilitated insertion technique.Twenty-five consecutive patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) were studied prospectively. Choledochoscopy was carried out with a simplified introducer system using a 6.9-French choledochoscope. An arbitrary limit of 10 min was established for gaining access to the common bile duct (CBD). Incidental CBD stones were found in two of the 25 procedures (8%) and were cleared laparoscopically. The CBD was successfully entered in 21 of 25 attempts (84%). The average time for the entire procedure was 8.7 min. There were no procedure-related complications.Clinical application of this procedure was reviewed in a personal series of 742 LCs. Transcystic laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCDE) was successful in clearing stones from the CBD 75% of the time and the addition of laparoscopic choledochotomy brought the success of LCDE to 81%. Excluding patients where transcystic LCDE was not attempted, the overall success rate was 91%.Presented at the annual meeting of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), Nashville, TN 18–19 April 1994     

Percutaneous transhepatic small-caliber choledochoscopic lithotomy: a safe and effective technique for percutaneous transhepatic common bile duct exploration in high-risk elderly patients

Abstract. Purpose: Endoscopic bile duct clearance is now the treatment of first choice for bile duct stones, particularly in elderly or high-risk patients. The purpose of this study was to objectively assess the safety, efficiency, and ease of use of percutaneous transhepatic choledochoscopy, using a small-caliber choledochoscope with a facilitated insertion technique, in high-risk elderly patients with choledocholithiasis. Methods: Sixty-five consecutive patients with common bile duct stones scheduled for percutaneous transhepatic choledochoscopic lithotomy were studied prospectively. Choledochoscopy was carried out with a simplified introducer system, using a 2.8-mm choledochoscope with electrohydraulic lithotripsy. Results: The common bile duct was successfully accessed and the stones removed in all 65 patients. The average time for the entire procedure was 45 min. There were no serious procedure-related complications. Conclusions: Percutaneous transhepatic choledochoscopic lithotomy, using electrohydraulic lithotripsy, is an attractive alternative for patients with common bile duct stones when surgery or retrograde methods are not suitable. Received: February 27, 2001 / Accepted: May 11, 2001     

Percutaneous flexible choledochoscopy: a simple method for retained common bile duct stone removal

Conventional methods of treatment of retained common bile duct stones found on T tube cholangiography after common bile duct exploration include percutaneous extraction under fluoroscopic control and endoscopic sphincterotomy. Four cases of percutaneous stone extraction under direct vision using the flexible choledochoscope are described. Clearance of the bile ducts was achieved at one sitting in three cases and four sittings in one case. Follow-up tube cholangiography was performed in two cases and confirmed complete clearance. Percutaneous endoscopic stone extraction can be performed by any surgeon with experience of flexible choledochoscopy and offers the advantages of a minimally invasive procedure without the use of specialized equipment.     

Operative common bile duct imaging by operative cholangiography and flexible choledochoscopy.

A consecutive series of 108 common bile duct (CBD) explorations was studied to examine the efficacy of routine operative cholangiography and flexible choledochoscopy in the identification of choledocholithiasis. CBD exploration was performed according to the findings of routine operative cholangiography. Nine negative explorations were performed, only one of which would have been avoided had selective cholangiography been employed. Eight patients had unsuspected choledocholithiasis that would have been missed if selective operative cholangiography had been used. Flexible choledochoscopy identified CBD stones on 97 occasions; no additional retained stones were found on subsequent T tube cholangiography. In two cases stones were seen but could not be removed; immediate identification allowed planning for early removal. Flexible choledochoscopy is the most effective method of CBD exploration and should be used in all patients with suspected choledocholithiasis.     

腹腔镜胆总管探查术中细纤维胆道镜的应用

4例胆囊结石的病人在行腹腔镜胆囊切除术中行胆道造影并经细纤维胆道镜经胆囊管扩取石。2例经造影证实为胆总管下端结石,1例取石成功,另1例因结石较大而致使取石失败,后经内镜乳头括约肌切开取石成功。1例造影怀疑胆总管下端结石,术中镜检正常。1例切开胆囊管冲洗泥沙样结石并取石成功。LC术中采用细纤维胆道镜检查并取石是一安全有效的手段。     

Choledochoscopy and common bile duct exploration

Common bile duct (CBD) exploration is often indicated when cholecystectomy is performed for gallstone disease. Choledochoscopy may help to decrease the incidence of retained common duct stones. The present study reviews 97 consecutive CBD exploration cases performed between 1980 and 1988, in order to evaluate the authors' experience with flexible choledochoscopy and CBD exploration. Fifty-nine patients had CBD exploration plus flexible choledochoscopy and 38 underwent CBD exploration alone. Retained stones were found postoperatively in ten per cent of the patients who had only CBD exploration versus four per cent in the choledochoscopy group. The retained stones in five patients were later removed by percutaneous basket retrieval (3), flush irrigation (1), and choledochoscopy (1). Flexible choledochoscopy detected additional stones after routine CBD exploration in 12 patients, clarified T-tube cholangiograms in four patients, and aided stone extraction in two patients. For these reasons, and because choledochoscopy was associated with a lower incidence of retained stones, the authors believe this procedure is a worthwhile addition in most cases of CBD exploration.     

Intrahepatic choledochoscopy during trans-cystic common bile duct exploration; technique, feasibility and value

Background

Transcystic laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (TC-LCBDE) is advantageous for exploring the bile duct. Choledochoscopy, however, may be quite challenging to perform transcystically because the cystic duct is usually narrow, duct anatomy may be unfavorable, and not all stones are amenable to transcystic extraction. Convention suggests that it is technically very difficult to visualize the intrahepatic bile ducts with transcystic choledochoscopy, due to the angle of insertion of the cystic into the common bile duct (CBD). However, we have performed intrahepatic choledochoscopy successfully, moving the choledochoscope from the CBD into the common hepatic duct by using what we have termed a “wiper blade maneuver”. The purpose of this study was to confirm how often this was possible.

Methods

A search of a prospectively collected database of patients undergoing routine intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) and laparoscopic CBD exploration under the care of a single consultant surgeon was performed.

Results

A total of 592 LCBDEs were performed between September 1992 and January 2011; 325 were transcystic explorations. Of these, 72.5?% were female and 56?% were admitted acutely. Exploration and duct clearance was performed by blind Dormia basket trawling in 63?%. The choledochoscope was utilized in 120 cases (37?%). The 3-mm choledochoscope was used in 66 (55?%) and the 5-mm scope in 54 (45?%). Intrahepatic choledochoscopy was performed in 49 patients (40.8?%). Length of surgery was 40–350?min (median 90?min; standard deviation 49?min).

Conclusions

It is technically challenging to perform intrahepatic choledochoscopy with a 3-mm choledochoscope due to its narrow gauge. The more rigid 5-mm scope is thus preferred, but is limited in TCE because its effective use depends on the presence of a dilated cystic duct. Despite the technical limitations of both caliber scopes, we have demonstrated that intrahepatic choledochoscopy during TCE is possible, with each, in 40?% of cases.     

TECHNIQUE AND RESULTS OF LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLEDOCHOTOMY FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF BILE DUCT CALCULI

Laparoscopic choledochotomy has been performed in 50 patients to remove common bile duct calculi demonstrated on routine operative cholangiography at the time of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patients ranged from 16 to 91 years old. One patient died, giving a mortality of 2%. At postoperative T-tube cholangiography, retained stones were demonstrated in three patients (6%) with all stones being removed using a choledochoscope via the T-tube track. Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration via a choledochotomy is a feasible and effective method to manage common bile duct calculi demonstrated during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.     

Endoscopic retrograde cholangioscopy. An adjunct to endoscopic exploration of the common bile duct

Choledochoscopy is an accepted technique in the operative exploration of the common bile duct, and is complimentary to operative cholangiography. Retrograde cholangiography can be achieved perorally in up to 97 per cent of patients and it is reasonable to assume that the use of complimentary cholangioscopy in such patients would help to improve the accuracy of bile duct examination just as it does when applied in the operative setting. We have had the opportunity to use a new technology in the endoscopic evaluation of the common bile duct. An endoscopic retrograde cholangioscopy (ERCP) is first performed and ductal anatomy outlined. When indicated, an endoscopic sphincterotomy is performed. If large stones are present they are removed with a balloon or basket. The standard side-viewing endoscope is then removed and replaced with the large channel, side-viewing scope. A "baby" scope is introduced through the "mother" scope and canulation of the common duct with the "baby" scope is performed. Biopsies and brushings of lesions may be obtained and numerous instruments are available for manipulation through the biopsy channel of the "baby" scope. The use of retrograde cholangioscopy as an adjunct to retrograde cholangiography should provide the same advantages that have been demonstrated with the use of operative choledochoscopy. Use of this instrument will allow the endoscopist to accurately identify questionable lesions seen on the cholangiogram, selectively canulate particular biliary radicals, biopsy lesions of the common duct, and perhaps intervene therapeutically in selected biliary tract lesions.     

A scientific evaluation of operative choledochoscopy in acute cholangitis.

A prospective study to determine the safety and effectiveness of choledochoscopy in acute cholangitis and acute suppurative cholangitis due to common bile duct stones was conducted on 70 patients. Common bile duct pressures determined on the first 20 patients showed that choledochoscopy was unlikely to cause cholangiovenous reflux. Laboratory and clinical parameters revealed that choledochoscopy did not cause septicemia, worsen cholangitis, or provoke acute pancreatitis. There was no iatrogenic injury during choledochoscopy, and the choledochoscopic views were minimally affected by cholangitis. Choledochoscopy detected overlooked stones after conventional methods of exploration of common bile ducts in 14.3% of patients and it helped to remove impacted stones in 2.9% of patients. As a result, the incidence of retained stones after choledochoscopy was 1.4%. Time spent in choledochoscopy was short, and the total postoperative septic complication rate was only 10%. There was no operative mortality. It is concluded that choledochoscopy is safe and effective in cholangitis.     

Choledochoscopy in prevention of retained common bile duct stones

More than 150,000 patients undergo exploration of the common bile duct each year in the United States, and approximately 10 per cent of these patients are later found to have retained common bile duct stones. The usual recommended procedure to decrease the incidence of retained calculi is a more complete exploration of the common duct at time of initial operation. It is thought that the incidence of retained common bile duct stones can be decreased and almost eliminated with proper use of the flexible choledochoscope following intraoperative cystic duct cholangiogram. The technical aspects of choledochoscopy are reviewed and experience with its use in 102 cases between July 1978 and October 1985 is reported. There were no residual stones in the span of the study using the flexible choledochoscope as a routine procedure in common bile duct exploration.     

Choledochoscopy in common bile duct surgery for choledocholithiasis: A must: Eight years experience in 441 consecutive patients

Between 1975 and 1983, 441 choledochoscopy were performed in a series of 451 consecutive patients undergoing surgical common biliary duct exploration for choledocholithiasis. In 127 patients (27.8%), no stones were found. Forty-five cases (10%) of choledocholithiasis missed by surgical and radiologic exploration methods were found by choledochoscopy. Therefore the retained stone rate decreased from 10 per cent to 2 per cent. Fourteen patients (3%) died at surgery, ten of whom (2%) were over 70. Postoperative biliary tract was drained in 98 patients (8%) using external drainage. Biliary tract patency was checked on the tenth postoperative day by the tube cholangiography. When retained stones were not found, T-tube was removed on the 20th day after surgery. When retained stones were found (11 patients, 2%) an endoscopic papillotomy was performed. Choledochoscopy is a significant addition in biliary surgery. It reduces operative mortality and morbidity, decreases retained stone rate, diminishes indications for biliary anastomosis and sphincterotomy, and is easy to perform without specific training. Its extensive and systematic use is advocated when- ever common bile duct patency has to be surgically demonstrated in choledocholithiasis.     

腹腔镜术中经胆囊管纤维胆道镜取石术的应用体会(附18例报告)

目的:探讨腹腔镜手术中应用胆道镜经胆囊管途径进行胆总管探查、取石的方法及临床价值。方法:对18例腹腔镜手术中经胆囊管途径行胆道镜胆总管探查、取石患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果:经胆囊管途径胆道镜成功取出胆总管结石共17例,失败1例,取石成功94.4%(17/18)。结论:腹腔镜手术中应用经胆囊管途径取出胆总管内结石的方法安全可行,较之腹腔镜术中胆总管切开取石的方法创伤更小。     

胆总管结石残留的因素分析及防治

目的 探讨胆囊结石胆囊切除术后胆总管结石残留的原因及处理方法。方法 1994年1月2000年9月间1027例胆囊结石病人在我院施行胆囊切除术,同时行胆总管切开探查术者246例,证实有胆总管结石者205例;对其中14例术后胆总管结石残留患者的临床资料进行对比分析。结果 结石残留组病人的76％为60岁或以上,64％并发急性胆管炎,50％术中取出胆总管结石3－5枚,仅14％行术中纤维胆道镜探查取石,与无结石残留病人相比差异均有显著性意义（P＜0．05）。13例残留结石经术后胆总管T管造影发现并分别行1－2次术后纤胆镜取石后完全清除;另1例自然排出。结论 胆总管结石残留多发生于年龄较大、胆总管结石较多、并发急性胆管炎的患者;术中纤胆镜的应用有助于防止结石残留。胆总管T管造影能可靠地诊断残留结石。术后经T管瘘道纤胆镜取石是治疗残留结石安全有效的方法。     

Operative choledochoscopy : Results of a prospective study in several institutions

A prospective study from six surgical units utilizing choledochoscopy in conjunction with primary choledocholithotomy and cholangiography resulted in an incidence of less than 2 per cent unsuspected residual biliary calculi. Total reliance on choledochoscopy without associated operative cholangiography is not justified and fraught with error. When there are no calculi in the common duct, the choledochoscope allows the surgeon to shorten exploration time with confidence that the postexploratory cholangiogram will confirm his negative findings. The choledochoscope is of additional value in the extraction of calculi. Certain considerations in the management of biliary tract tumors also can be helped by the addition of choledochoscopy. The simultaneous presence of calculous disease and biliary tract neoplasm can coexist can be brought to light by the use of the choledochoscope. The incorporation of choledochoscopy, using a rigid Berci-Shore choledochoscope, as part of routine common duct exploration, appears to be warranted.