Minimally invasive treatments for cholelithiasis have gained popularity. The complexity of diagnosing and treating choledocholithiasis offers multiple surgical options, including laparoscopic common bile duct exploration plus laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LCBDE+LC) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and/or endoscopic sphincterotomy plus laparoscopic cholecystectomy (ERCP/EST+LC). To compare outcomes in patients with typical signs, symptoms, laboratory, and imaging features of cholelithiasis combined with common bile duct stones, we retrospectively analyzed the short-term outcomes of LCBDE+LC and ERCP/EST+LC. We analyzed 318 patients with gallbladder stones treated between January 2022 and May 2024. Of these, 152 underwent LCBDE+LC, and 166 underwent ERCP/EST+LC. We compared patients' baseline characteristics, perioperative outcomes, and short-term complications between the two groups. The primary outcome was the effectiveness of choledochal stone removal, while secondary outcomes included length of stay, hospitalization costs, and patient satisfaction. Patients' baseline characteristics were similar between the LCBDE+LC and ERCP/EST+LC groups. Stone clearance rates were comparable (97.37% versus 95.18%, =.306), with a slight advantage in the LCBDE+LC group. The length of hospitalization was significantly shorter in the LCBDE+LC group (6.49 ± 1.18 days versus 6.77 ± 1.11 days, <.05). The LCBDE+LC group also had lower total hospitalization costs ($5188.78 ± 861.26 versus $6498.76 ± 1190.58 <.01). Additionally, the incidence of pancreatitis was lower in the LCBDE+LC group (0.66% versus 6.02%, <.01). There were no significant differences between the groups in other short-term complications such as abdominal infection, cholangitis, biliary bleeding, or bile leakage. Postoperative follow-up indicated higher patient satisfaction and acceptance in the LCBDE+LC group (SSQ-8, 85.84 ± 4.31 points versus 81.20 ± 4.54 points, <.01). Our findings suggest that the LCBDE+LC holds promise as a safe and efficacious approach for the management of cholelithiasis combined with common bile duct stones. However, further prospective clinical trials are essential to corroborate these results and confirm their broader applicability.

1:  ESGE recommends routine rectal administration of 100 mg of diclofenac or indomethacin immediately before endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in all patients without contraindications to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug administration.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 2:  ESGE recommends prophylactic pancreatic stenting in selected patients at high risk for post-ERCP pancreatitis (inadvertent guidewire insertion/opacification of the pancreatic duct, double-guidewire cannulation).Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 3:  ESGE suggests against routine endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy before the insertion of a single plastic stent or an uncovered/partially covered self-expandable metal stent for relief of biliary obstruction.Weak recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 4:  ESGE recommends against the routine use of antibiotic prophylaxis before ERCP.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 5:  ESGE suggests antibiotic prophylaxis before ERCP in the case of anticipated incomplete biliary drainage, for severely immunocompromised patients, and when performing cholangioscopy.Weak recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 6:  ESGE suggests tests of coagulation are not routinely required prior to ERCP for patients who are not on anticoagulants and not jaundiced.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.7:  ESGE suggests against salvage pancreatic stenting in patients with post-ERCP pancreatitis.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 8:  ESGE suggests temporary placement of a biliary fully covered self-expandable metal stent for post-sphincterotomy bleeding refractory to standard hemostatic modalities.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 9:  ESGE suggests to evaluate patients with post-ERCP cholangitis by abdominal ultrasonography or computed tomography (CT) scan and, in the absence of improvement with conservative therapy, to consider repeat ERCP. A bile sample should be collected for microbiological examination during repeat ERCP.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

This study investigated the clinical application of the indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence navigation technique in bile duct identification during laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) for complex hepatolithiasis.Eighty patients with complex hepatolithiasis were admitted to our department between January 2022 and June 2023 and randomly divided into control and observation groups. The control group underwent conventional LCBDE, while the observation group underwent LCBDE guided by ICG fluorescence.Intraoperatively, the observation group had shorter operation and search times for the common bile duct (CBD), as well as reduced intraoperative blood loss and fewer complications, such as conversion to laparotomy and various injuries (gastroduodenal, colon, pancreatic, and vascular) than the control group, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). Postoperatively, the observation group had lower rates of postoperative bile leakage, abdominal infection, postoperative hemorrhage, and residual stone than the control group. Additionally, the observation group demonstrated significantly shorter times for resuming flatus, removal of the abdominal drainage tube, and hospitalization than the control group, with statistical significance (P < 0.05).ICG fluorescence navigation technology effectively visualizes the bile duct, improves its identification rate, shortens the operation time, prevents biliary tract injury, and reduces the occurrence of complications.© 2024. The Author(s).

Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) is a critical procedure for managing choledocholithiasis, with primary closure (PC) and T-tube drainage (TTD) as common methods for common bile duct closure. However, the substantial number of new studies comparing PC and TTD underscores the need for an updated meta-analysis. Therefore, this study aims to compare surgery-related outcomes in PC and TTD for biliary duct closure following LCBDE. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases on June 20, 2024. Mean differences (MDs) and risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled for continuous and binary outcomes, respectively. Heterogeneity was assessed with statistics. Statistical analysis was performed using Software R, version 4.3.3. A total of 31 studies comprising 4432 patients were included. A total of 2301 (51.9%) were submitted to PC and 2131 (48.1%) were submitted to TTD. The mean age of patients ranged from 39 to 69.8 years and 44.3% were male. Compared with TTD, PC significantly reduced retained stones (odds ratio [OR] 0.57; 95% CI 0.35-0.93; =.02; = 0%), biliary peritonitis (OR 0.22; 95% CI 0.08-0.60;.01; = 0%), operative time (MD -21.07 minutes; 95% CI -27.68-14.46;. 01; = 97%) and postoperative hospital stay (MD -2.20 days; 95% CI -2.80-1.60;. 01; = 96%). However, there were no significant differences between the groups in recurrent stones (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.32-1.02; =.06; = 0%), bile leakage (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.65-1.23; =.49; = 0%), bile duct stricture (OR 2.08; 95% CI 0.36-12.11; =.42; = 0%), pneumonia (OR 1.38; 95% CI 0.66-2.88; =.39; = 0%), and pancreatitis (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.29-1.38; =.25; = 0%). In this meta-analysis, PC was associated with decreased retained stones, biliary peritonitis, operative time, and postoperative hospital stay. However, no significant differences were observed for the other outcomes. These findings underscore PC as a safe and reliable method for bile duct closure following LCBDE.

Common bile duct (CBD) exploration and T-tube drainage are the main surgical methods for the removal of bile duct stones (BDSs), which can now be completed by laparoscopy. However, the feasibility and safety of primary closure of the CBD (PCCBD) in laparoscopic CBD exploration (LCBDE) without biliary drainage are still uncertain. From January 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, patients who were diagnosed with BDSs and underwent LCBDE and primary closure of the CBD without biliary drainage in our hospital were included. The clinical and prognostic data of the patients were retrospectively analyzed to determine the feasibility and safety of PCCBD in LCBDE without biliary drainage. Forty-nine patients successfully underwent PCCBD in LCBDE without biliary drainage. The operation time was 158.8 ± 50.3 (90–315,150) minutes, the bile duct suture time was 17.6 ± 4.46 (10–26, 18) minutes, the intraoperative blood loss volume was 70.4 ± 52.6 (5–200, 80) ml, the hospitalization cost was 28,141.2 ± 7011.3 (15,005.45–52,959.34, 26,815.14) CNY Yuan, the hospitalization time was 13.22 ± 5.16 (8–32, 12) days, and the postoperative hospitalization time was 7.31 ± 1.94 (3–15, 7) days. There were 3 cases of postoperative bile leakage (3/49, 6.12%), all of them healed by nonsurgical treatment. During the follow-up of 17.2 ± 11.01 (10–26, 17) months, no residual BDSs, biliary stricture or other complications classified as Clavien-Dindo grade I or higher occurred. For some selected patients who meet certain criteria, PCCBD in LCBDE without biliary drainage is feasible and safe and is more conducive to the rapid postoperative recovery of patients.