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Background: Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) is one of the minimally invasive options for choledocholithiasis. Primary closure of the common bile duct (CBD) upon completion of laparoscopic choledochotomy is safe in selected patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of primary closure of CBD after LCBDE in patients aged 70 years or older., Methods: A total of 116 patients (51 males and 65 females) who suffered from choledocholithiasis and underwent primary closure of the CBD (without T-tube drainage) after LCBDE from January 2003 to December 2017 were recruited. They were classified into two groups according to age: group A (≥70 years, n = 56), and group B (<70 years, n = 60). The preoperative characteristics, intraoperative details, and postoperative outcomes of the two groups were evaluated., Results: The mean operative time was 172.02 min for group A and 169.92 min for group B (P = 0.853). The mean hospital stay was 7.40 days for group A and 5.38 days for group B (P < 0.001). Bile leakage occurred in two patients in group A and one in group B (3.57% vs 1.67%, P = 0.952). There were no significant differences in the rates of postoperative complications and mortality between the two groups. At median follow-up time of 60 months, stone recurrence was detected in one patient in group A and two in group B (1.79% vs 3.33%, P = 1.000). Stenosis of CBD was not observed in group A and slight stenosis in one patient in group B (0 vs 1.67%, P = 1.000)., Conclusion: Primary closure of the CBD upon completion of laparoscopic choledochotomy is safe and feasible in elderly patients ≥70 years old., (Copyright © 2019 First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP) with endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) followed by a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is generally accepted as the treatment of choice for patients with choledochocystolithiasis who are eligible for surgery. Previous studies have shown that LC after ES is associated with a high conversion rate. The aim of the present study was to assess the complexity of LC after ES compared with standard LC for symptomatic uncomplicated cholecystolithiasis., Methods: The study population consisted of two patient cohorts: patients who had undergone a previous ERCP with ES for choledocholithiasis (PES) and patients with cholecystolithiasis who had no previous intervention prior to LC (NPES)., Results: The PES group consisted of 93 patients and the NPES group consisted of 83 consecutive patients. Patients in the PES group had higher risks for longer [more than 65 min, odds ratio (OR) = 4.21 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.79-9.91)] and more complex [higher than 6 points, on a 0-10 scale, OR 3.12 (95% CI 1.43-6.81)] surgery. The conversion rate in the PES and NPES group (6.5% versus 2.4%, respectively) and the complication rate (12.9% versus 9.6%, respectively) were not significantly different., Discussion: A laparoscopic cholecystectomy after ES is lengthier and more difficult than in uncomplicated cholelithiasis and should therefore be performed by an experienced surgeon., (© 2012 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.)

Background: The major issue with intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) is whether its diagnostic accuracy for common bile duct (CBD) stones matches that of other diagnostic procedures, and thus, whether it will become a routine diagnostic procedure. The current study aimed to address the main determinants of CBD stone diagnosis in IOC among an Iranian population., Methods: In a retrospective review database-based study conducted in Taleghani Hospital in Tehran between 2006 and 2008, baseline data and perioperative information of 2060 patients (male to female ratio 542:1518, mean age 53.7 years) who were candidates for cholecystectomy and underwent concomitant IOC for confirming CBD stones were reviewed. The predictive power of this procedure for diagnosis of abnormal biliary ducts with the focus on biliary stones was determined., Results: Overall mortality and morbidity following cholecystectomy in the study population were 0.6% and 2.6%, respectively. Both early mortality and morbidity due to cholecystectomy were higher in male than female. The prevalence of CBD stones in IOC was 3.4% (5.2% in male and 2.8% in female, P=0.008). Among those without gallstones, 8.7% had CBD stones and only 3.1% had concomitant gallstones and CBD stones. The main predictors of stone appearance as an abnormal feature of IOC during cholecystectomy were: advanced age (OR=1.022, P=0.001), male gender (OR=1.498, P=0.050), history of abdominal surgery (OR=1.543, P=0.040) and preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (OR=5.400, P<0.001)., Conclusions: IOC is a safe and accurate method for the assessment of bile duct anatomy and stones. Therefore, the routine use of IOC within cholecystectomy seems reasonable and is recommended.