title: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the treatment of intraoperatively demonstrated choledocholithiasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and complications of postoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in confirming and treating choledocholithiasis found at intraoperative cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who had undergone ERCP following a cholecystectomy between 2008 and 2011 with an indication of intraoperative cholangiography findings consistent with choledocholithiasis were identified from a prospectively collected database of a single endoscopist. Deep biliary access rate, confirmation of choledocholithiasis, clearance rate of bile duct stones, delay between cholecystectomy and postoperative ERCP, and the complication rates following the procedure were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the 41 patients (16 male, 25 female) was 42 years (range: 18-82 years). Sixteen surgeons performed the operations with a median delay of 6 days (range: 1-103 days) between cholecystectomy and postoperative ERCP. Common bile duct access was achieved in 100% of the patients, with ERCP taking a median time of 16 minutes (range: 6-40 minutes). Initial ERCP confirmed the presence of a stone in 30 patients (73%) and successful stone removal occurred in 28 of these 30 patients (93%) during the first ERCP and in the remaining 2 on a subsequent ERCP. Following ERCP, two patients (4.9%) experienced extended hospital stays for four and eight days owing to complications, including one patient (2.4%) with mild acute pancreatitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that postoperative ERCP is highly effective in both confirming and treating choledocholithiasis. However, there is a significant risk of short-term complications that must be taken into consideration when deciding management.
authors.affiliation: Canberra Hospital, The Australian National University, Australia.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lynn
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: andrew.thomson@act.gov.au.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000379:methods*; D042883:Choledocholithiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult