Objective: To summarize the experience of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration.
Methods: The clinical data of 587 cases who underwent laparoscopic common bile duct exploration from June 1992 to May 2006 were analyzed.
Results: The surgery was successful in 585 cases (99.7%), 2 cases were converted to open common bile duct exploration. The duration of operation was 60 approximately 230 min (averaged 85 min), the complications consisted of biliary fistula (n=13), injury of the duodenum (n=1), abscess of drainage tube orifice (n=1), titanium clip discharging out from T tube (n=3), residual common bile duct stones (n=35). The patients could take food and walk on the second postoperative day and average postoperative hospital stay was 4.6 days.
Conclusions: Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration is a safe and effective procedure in treating the calculus of bile duct.