Endoscopy for bile duct stones

In the era of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and advanced non-invasive imaging studies, pre-operative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for bile duct stones should be reserved for selected patients. ERCP remains the therapy of choice for removal of bile duct stones in the post-cholecystectomy patient and in patients with intact gallbladders. Bile duct stones can be cleared in nearly all patients using endoscopic techniques of sphincterotomy and mechanical lithotripsy. Difficult or complex bile duct stones can be endoscopically removed in the majority of patients with additional techniques such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, intraductal lithotripsy and/or stent placement. In non-operative patients in whom stone clearance cannot be achieved, long-term stent placement is a potential option in patients who are not candidates for further therapy. Endoscopic therapy may be effective in selected patients with intrahepatic biliary stones.     

Difficult bile duct stones

Opinion statement Bile duct stones are routinely removed at time of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) after biliary sphincterotomy with standard balloon or basket extraction techniques. However, in approximately 10% to 15% of patients, bile duct stones may be difficult to remove due to challenging access to the bile duct (periampullary diverticulum, Billroth II anatomy, Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy), large (> 15 mm in diameter) bile duct stones, intrahepatic stones, or impacted stones in the bile duct or cystic duct. The initial approach to the removal of the difficult bile duct stone is to ensure adequate biliary sphincter orifice diameter with extension of biliary sphincterotomy or balloon dilation of the orifice. Mechanical lithotripsy is a readily available adjunct to standard stone extraction techniques and should be available in all ERCP units. If stone extraction fails with these maneuvers, two or more bile duct stents should be inserted, and ursodiol added to aid in duct decompression, stone fragmentation, and stone dissolution. Follow-up ERCP attempts to remove the difficult bile duct stones may be performed locally if expertise is available or alternatively referred to a tertiary center for advanced extracorporeal or intracorporeal fragmentation (mother-baby laser or electrohydraulic lithotripsy) techniques. Nearly all patients with bile duct stones can be treated endoscopically if advanced techniques are utilized. For the rare patient who fails despite these efforts, surgical bile duct exploration, percutaneous approach to the bile duct, or long-term bile duct stenting should be discussed with the patient and family to identify the most appropriate therapeutic option. A thoughtful approach to each patient with difficult bile duct stones and a healthy awareness of the operator/endoscopy unit limitations is necessary to ensure the best patient outcomes. Consultation with a dedicated tertiary ERCP specialty center may be necessary.     

Common bile duct stones

Opinion statement  

Surgical interventions for bile duct stones

Based on our experience of 420 common bile duct procedures for stone disease and a literature review, it is evident that treatment of common duct stones today is based on a wide variety of non-operative and surgical methods which are still being developed. The mode of treatment is basically related to the time of diagnosis. Methods also differ depending on the localization of calculi, on inflammatory complications of stone disease, and whether combined or isolated cholecystocholedocholithiasis is present. At the moment, traditional operative methods as well as newly developed advanced techniques have to be evaluated. Selection of patients and their appropriate surgical and non-surgical treatment is an important issue to be further developed in the next few years. Therefore, therapeutic indications and definitive therapy present a much more demanding challenge for the surgeon than in the period when only open surgery was available.     

Laparoscopic choledochotomy for bile duct stones

In the era of laparoscopic surgery, treatment strategies for common bile duct stones remain controversial. Laparoscopic choledochotomy is usually indicated only when transcystic duct exploration is not feasible. However, laparoscopic choledochotomy provides complete access to the ductal system and has a higher clearance rate than the transcystic approach. In addition, primary closure of the choledochotomy with a running suture and absorbable clips facilitates the procedure. Therefore, to avoid postoperative biliary stenosis, all patients with bile duct stones can be indicated for choledochotomy, except for those with nondilated common bile duct. Placement of a C‐tube also provides access for the clearance of possible retained stones by endoscopic sphincterotomy as a backup procedure. C‐tube placement, in contrast to T‐tube insertion, is advantageous in terms of a relatively short hospital stay. In conclusion, laparoscopic choledochotomy with C‐tube drainage is recommended as the treatment of choice for patients with common bile duct stones.     

Asymptomatic common bile duct stones

Patients with asymptomatic bile duct stones exhibit typical signs, such as elevated liver function tests, dilated bile ducts on ultrasound, a history of jaundice, or pancreatitis. The incidence of asymptomatic bile duct stones is about 10%, but up to 2% of patients show no signs of the disease. Bile duct stones can be diagnosed by using clinical judgement, scoring systems, or discriminant function tests. Which diagnostic modality is most reliable, cost-effective and safe, varies with different hospitals. Which therapy is most effective, safe and the cheapest also varies with different departments, but in the future an increasing number of departments will use the one-stage laparoscopic approach.     

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胆管结石的影像学检查方法很多,就术前诊断而言,以超声为首选检查方法,但其容易受肠气干扰,显示胆总管结石的效果较差.对超声诊断效果不佳者,可进一步进行CT或MRI检查.CT检出高密度、低密度及部分混合密度结石的效果很好,但是容易漏诊等密度结石;而磁共振胰胆管成像能较全面显示胆管系统的解剖和结石,尤其对肝外胆管结石的诊断准确率很高,为其主要优点.     

Endoscopic management of bile duct stones

The surgical risk of common duct exploration for the treatment of biliary calculi is considerably higher than that of cholecystectomy. Therefore, introduction of endoscopic sphincterotomy in 1974 was a major advance. It has become the therapy of choice in cholecystectomized patients or in those with an increased operative risk. Endoscopic sphincterotomy has a mortality rate of around 1% and a morbidity rate of 7%. These figures compare favourably with open surgery, especially in old patients. The procedure fails in about 10% of all patients referred for endoscopic removal of their calculi. However, several techniques have been described or are currently under evaluation to overcome these failures: intracorporeal or extracorporeal lithotripsy, long-term stenting of the bile duct, or direct application of solvents. Long-term follow-up studies show that between 2% and 20% of successfully managed patients may develop recurrent stones, mainly caused by bile stasis and infection. Patients with a functioning gall-bladder and no concomitant gall-bladder stones probably do not require cholecystectomy after successful endoscopic treatment of their choledochal stones. While endoscopic stone removal has replaced surgery in the elderly frail patients it has no major advantages in the young and fit patients, especially when the gall-bladder is still in situ.     

Endoscopic management of bile duct stones

The advantages of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) over open surgery make it the predominant method of treating choledocholithiasis. Today, technologic advances such as magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and laparoscopic surgery are challenging ERCP's primacy in the management of common bile duct (CBD) stones. This article reviews the current status of endoscopic treatment of biliary stones and examines this in relation to laparoscopic management. The techniques and safety of endoscopic sphincterotomy and balloon sphincteroplasty are reviewed. Balloon sphincteroplasty should be limited to study protocols because of safety questions and inherent limitations. After sphincterotomy, 85% to 90% of CBD stones can be removed with a Dormia basket or balloon catheter. These techniques are described as having both advantages and disadvantages. Methods for managing "difficult stones" include mechanical lithotripsy, intraductal shock wave lithotripsy, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, chemical dissolution, and biliary stenting. These approaches are presented along with data supporting their use in specific situations. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has emerged as the preferred alternative to open cholecystectomy. Parallel advances in the endoscopic and laparoscopic management of CBD stones have made the issue regarding the optimal treatment strategy complex. Three approaches to the management of choledocholithiasis in the laparoscopic era are presented as follows: strict therapeutic splitting, flexible therapeutic splitting, and strict laparoscopic management. The optimal approach needs to be defined in prospective comparative trials. For now, preoperative endoscopic stone extraction should still be recommended as the approach of choice in patients suspected to have CBD stones based on clinical, biochemical, and imaging parameters. Primary laparoscopic evaluation and management is reasonable in patients who have a low-to-moderate probability of having CBD stones.     

EUS diagnosis and simultaneous endoscopic retrograde cholangiography treatment of common bile duct stones by using an oblique-viewing echoendoscope

BACKGROUND: MRCP and EUS have replaced ERCP in the diagnosis of biliary diseases, but the latter is needed for treatment. This study evaluates a new approach in the management of common bile duct stones, by using an oblique-viewing echoendoscope. METHODS: Nineteen patients with acute abdominal pain associated with increased liver tests entered the study. Evaluation of the biliary tree was performed by using an oblique-viewing echoendoscope (JF-UM20; Olympus Europe GmbH, Hamburg, Germany). When biliary stones or sludge were found, bile duct cannulation and sphincterotomy were performed in the same session. RESULTS: Bile duct stones were diagnosed by EUS in 4 patients and biliary sludge in 12; the subsequent cholangiography and sphincterotomy with stone extraction confirmed the diagnosis in all patients. Bile duct cannulation failed in 1 patient. EUS showed features of chronic pancreatitis in 3 cases. The mean time for the whole procedure (EUS plus endoscopic retrograde cholangiography with biliary treatment) was 27 minutes. No procedure-related complications were observed. CONCLUSION: This new approach appears to be feasible and safe, providing an accurate diagnosis and, at the same time, an appropriate treatment of common bile duct stones when needed. With technical improvements, this extended EUS technique could be used as the first-line procedure in patients with biliopancreatic diseases.     

Primary closure of the common bile duct in open laparotomy for common bile duct stones

It is common these days to treat common bile duct (CBD) stones using endoscopic techniques. However, severe complications sometimes lead to death despite the great benefit of these techniques. If the patient has many and/or large stones, it can take considerable time for duct clearance, and this is associated with high costs. Therefore, we do not hesitate to choose surgical procedures when necessary. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the usefulness of primary closure of the CBD in open laparotomy for CBD stones. Thirty-four patients with CBD stones were operated on by open laparotomy; primary closure was done in 17 patients (group PC), and T-tube insertion was done in 17 (group TT). We compared the patients' medical records, clinical features, laboratory data, complications, and postoperative hospital admission days. There were no significant intergroup differences in patients' medical records, clinical features, or laboratory data, except for the number of CBD stones. There were no differences in complications. All complications were minor and needed no extra care. The number of postoperative hospital admission days showed a significant difference: 18.3 days in group PC and 31.5 in group TT. There are so many methods to treat CBD stones now that the selection of the procedure can be important for the patient's benefit. We prefer primary closure, to get better quality of life postoperatively and to avoid further operations and any severe complications.     

A review of treatment options for bile duct stones

Introduction: Approximately 10–15% of bile duct stones cannot be treated using conventional stone removal techniques. For difficult common bile duct stones (CBDS), various endoscopic techniques have been developed. This review covers technical tips and endoscopic treatments including Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), particularly under Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guidance.

Areas covered: Literatures about endoscopic treatment for bile duct stone were searched in Pub Med. As novel methods, EUS-guided approaches have also been reported, although long-term results and prospective evaluation are not yet sufficient. Large stones may need fragmentation prior to removal, to prevent stone impaction. To perform fragmentation, mechanical lithotripsy, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or laser lithotripsy techniques are available.

Expert commentary: Despite the fact that most bile duct stones can be treated using endoscopic techniques, endoscopists should remind to be able to select the temporary biliary stenting or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage as an option.     

胆管结石的优质手术室护理

目的分析内镜逆行胰胆管造影术(ERCP)和十二指肠乳头括约肌切开术(EST)取石术治疗胆管结石的手术护士配合效果。 方法选择2019年1月至2021年1月北京大学深圳医院肝胆胰外科住院治疗的102例接受ERCP+EST手术治疗的胆管结石患者进行回顾性分析，采用随机数字表法分为两组，对照组51例患者采用内镜室常规护理，观察组51例患者在对照组基础上配合优质手术室护理，比较两组苏醒期躁动评分、不良事件总发生率、护理满意度。 结果两组均顺利完成手术，观察组苏醒期躁动评分(0.69±0.12)低于对照组(2.64±0.24)，不良事件总发生率(1.96%)低于对照组(15.69%)，护理满意度(94.12%)高于对照组(74.51%)，差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。 结论ERCP+EST治疗胆管结石期间实施优质内镜手术护理配合，可有效预防苏醒期躁动，减少寒颤等不良反应，提高患者满意度。