TECHNICAL ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLANGIOGRAPHY AS DEFINED BY RADIOGRAPHIC CRITERIA

Objective: To define the elements of successful laparoscopic cholangio graphy. Design: Retrospective review of 130 consecutive patients who u nderwent laparoscopic cholangiography. Setting: Community hospital wit h a surgical residency. Patients: Thirty-four males and 96 females, ag ed 16 to 86 years, with acute and chronic cholecystitis. Intervention: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy during intraoperative cholangiography. M ain Outcome Measure: A cholangiogram that satisfactorily delineates bi liary anatomy as defined by accepted radiologic criteria. Result: A su ccessful laparoscopic cholangiogram was obtained in 98.5% of the study group. Conclusion: A safe and reliable technique to obtain a laparosc opic cholangiogram is described and validated using accepted radiologi c criteria.