title: General surgery: biliary surgery.
abstract: The management of biliary tract disease has changed completely as a result of minimally invasive treatment. For most patients with gallstones that cause symptoms a laparoscopic cholecystectomy will treat the condition with minimal morbidity and a short recovery period. If complications are encountered, conversion to a mini-cholecystectomy gives results that are nearly as good. Acute cholecystitis can be treated by percutaneous drainage followed either by percutaneous cholecystolithotomy or a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Gallstones in the bile duct are best treated by endoscopic sphincterotomy with duct clearance. The day of the large cholecystectomy scar with its subsequent incisional hernia has gone.
authors.affiliation: Middlesex Hospital, London.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000379:methods*; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000601:surgery; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000473:pathology; D042882:Gallstones / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008096:Lithotripsy / Q000379:methods; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D016717:Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic