title: Percutaneous treatment of common bile duct stones: results and complications in 110 consecutive patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Choledocholithiasis is a common complication of cholecystolithiasis, occurring in 15-20% of patients who have gallbladder stones. Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography is the standard treatment. When this is not possible or not feasible, percutaneous transhepatic stone removal is an alternative treatment. In this retrospective study, we analyze 110 patients who were treated with percutaneous transhepatic removal of Common Bile Duct (CBD) stones.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between March 1998 and September 2013 110 patients (61 men, 49 women; aged 14-96, mean age 69.7 years) with confirmed bile duct stones were included. PTC was done using ultrasound and fluoroscopy. Balloon dilatation of the papilla was done with 8-12 mm balloons. If stone size exceeded 10 mm, mechanical lithotripsy was performed. Stones were then removed by percutaneous extraction or evacuation into the duodenum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 104 patients (104/110; 94.5%) total stone clearance of the CBD was achieved. A total of 12 complications occurred (10.9%), graded with the Clavien-Dindo scale as IVa, IVb, and V, respectively; hypoxia requiring resuscitation, sepsis and death due to ongoing cholangiosepsis (n = 1, 4, 1). Minor complications I, II, and IIIa included: small liver abscess, pleural empyema, transient hemobilia and mild fever (n = 1, 1, 2, 2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Percutaneous removal of CBD stones is an effective alternative treatment, when endoscopic treatment is contra-indicated, fails or is not feasible. It is effective, has a low complication rate and using deep sedation potentially requires only a very limited number of treatment sessions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kint
authors.forename: Janneke E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: van den Bergh
authors.forename: Rogier E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: van Gelder
authors.forename: Erik A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Rauws
authors.forename: Dirk J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Gouma
authors.forename: Otto M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: van Delden
authors.forename: Johan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Laméris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D042883:Choledocholithiasis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult