title: [Argument for choledochostomy, intraoperative endoscopy and external biliary drainage in the treatment of lithiasis of the common bile duct. A 15-year experience].
abstract: The treatment of common bile duct stones is controversial. The objective of our study was to report the results of choledochotomy, rigid choledochoscopy and systematic external biliary drainage in the treatment of stones of the common bile duct. Over a 15-year period, 555 patients were operated in our department according to a precise surgical protocol. 14% of these patients were operated as an emergency and 11.8% were operated immediately after endoscopic sphincterotomy. One third of patients suffered from cholangitis. The endoscopic investigation of the common bile duct was positive in 81.5% of patients. The investigation was negative in 18.5% and negative choledochotomy was significantly more frequent in patients operated for acute pancreatitis (p < 0.05). External biliary drainage was performed in 95.7% of patients. When necessary, a bilioenteric anastomosis (3%) or a surgical sphincterotomy (1.9%) was also performed. The postoperative mortality rate was 4.8% significantly higher in patients over the age of 70, in patients operated as an emergency and in patients operated immediately after endoscopic sphincterotomy (p < 0.05). The morbidity rate was 8.4%. Residual stones were diagnosed in 4.4% of the patients. The presence of residual stones was significantly more frequent in patients with multiple stones of the common bile duct (p < 0.05). Long-term follow-up was available for 89% of patients, 95% of whom were asymptomatic. These results, based on a homogeneous therapeutic protocol, can be used as a reference for the evaluation of other techniques, especially endoscopic and laparoscopic techniques.
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie Digestive, CHU Rangueil, Toulouse.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Suc
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fourtanier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Escat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002758:Cholangiography; D002768:Choledochostomy / Q000379:methods*; D004322:Drainage; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D042882:Gallstones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D012189:Retrospective Studies
vernacular_title: Plaidoyer pour la cholédocotomie, l'endoscopie per-opératoire et le drainage biliaire externe dans le traitement de la lithiase de la voie biliaire principale. Une expérience de 15 ans.