SINGLE-STAGE LAPAROSCOPIC TREATMENT OF GALLSTONES AND COMMON BILE-DUCT STONES IN 120 UNSELECTED, CONSECUTIVE PATIENTS

Feasibility, success rate, safety, and shortterm results of single-sta ge, laparoscopic, transcystic - whenever possible - or choledochotomic treatment of gallstones and common bile duct (CBD) stones were evalua ted in 120 unselected patients, Of 1095 patients who underwent laparos copic cholecystectomy, 120 had ductal stones; among those patients, st ones were suspected or proven in 72, 27 of whom were referred after fa iled endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) performed elsewhere; unsuspected C BD stones were discovered in 48, The procedure was successful in 116 p atients, Four patients required conversion to open surgery. The transc ystic access was feasible in 77 patients; a choledochotomy was require d in 39, Incidence of retained CBD stones was 4.3%. Minor complication s, major complications, and mortality were observed in 6.8%, 1.7%, and 0.8% of patients, respectively, Single-stage laparoscopic treatment o f gallstones and CBD stones in unselected patients is safe and feasibl e in the majority of cases, with success rates and short-term results that are not inferior to reported results of ERCP/ES and cholecystecto my.