title: Selective endoscopic retrograde cholangiography prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstones.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess the outcome of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) before laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for symptomatic gallbladder and suspected duct stones.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 3 years, one or more of four criteria led to ERC: jaundice, choledocus >8 mm, cholestasis, and severe biliary pancreatitis. Endoscopic extraction (ESE) of ductal stones was attempted before LC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 990 patients were prospectively included. There were no exclusions. There were no deaths. A multivariate logistic regression analysis identified jaundice (P = 0.001), pancreatitis (P = 0.001), and cholestasis (P = 0.001) as statistically significant predictors of ductal stones. Choledocus >8 mm was not a significant predictor (P = 0.12). A total of 155 (16%) patients underwent ERC for suspected stones: 21 of 155 (13%) patients had no stones; and 6 of 134 (4%) patients had stone impaction cleared at open surgery. ERC clearance rate was 95% (128 of 134). LC was performed in 149 of 155 patients after a median interval of 3 days (range 1 to 7). Morbidity rates were 3% (4 of 134), 2% (3 of 149), and nil (0 of 6) after ESE, LC, or open surgery, respectively. Median hospital stay was 11 days. A total of 835 patients underwent LC with a 1.5% complication rate. Laparoscopic fluoro-cholangiography showed < or =3 mm-sized stones in 10 of 835 (1.2%) patients. No stones were reported at a median follow-up of 4 months including 990 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ninety-five percent of patients with ductal stones can be successfully and safely managed by ERC prior to LC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Visceral Surgery, Angers University Hospital, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bergamaschi
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tuech
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Braconier
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Walsøe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mårvik
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boyet
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Arnaud
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde / Q000379:methods*; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000379:methods*; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care