title: The role of endoscopic balloon sphincteroplasty in patients with gallbladder and bile duct stones.
abstract: We clarified the significance of endoscopic balloon sphincteroplasty (EBS) in the therapeutic treatment of biliary tract stones in the present era of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Patients with cholecysto-choledocholithiasis (n = 33) were treated by EBS. After endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC), a balloon catheter (8 mm in diameter and 3 cm in width) was inserted into the bile duct using a guidewire, and positioned at the sphincter of Oddi. After inflating the balloon catheter, bile duct stones were removed by mechanical lithotripsy, a basket catheter, or a balloon catheter. In all patients, bile duct stones were removed by EBS without endoscopic sphincterotomy. No complication occurred except for 2 cases of mild pancreatitis, which was resolved within 48 hours. Twenty-four patients underwent LC before or after EBS. The remaining 9 patients did not undergo LC due to a poor-risk status for general anesthesia. None of them, however, experienced cholecystitis or colicky attacks after EBS. The combination of EBS and LC is an excellent method for treating cholecysto-choledocholithiasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endoscopy, Jichi Medical School, Yakushiji, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ido
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oohashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014670:Ampulla of Vater; D001649:Bile Duct Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male