The development of an effective and reliable technique for laparoscopi
c common bile duct exploration has been limited by the technical diffi
culty of the procedure and the lack of a suitable animal model with a
bile duct diameter large enough to accommodate the fiberoptic choledoc
hoscope and other instruments used for stone extraction. Short-term bi
le duct ligation in the dog provides a simple and reproducible animal
model that enables the surgeon to gain experience with laparoscopic co
mmon bile duct exploration in a laboratory setting. This model will en
able the surgeon to develop the technical skills necessary to perform
laparoscopic common bile duct exploration. In addition, the model may
facilitate the development and refinement of new techniques and instru
ments that will facilitate laparoscopic common bile duct exploration i
n the clinical setting.