Relation of size and number of common duct calculi to success of sphincterotomy and stone extraction.

Endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) for common bile duct calculi (CBDC) was performed on 210 patients, and 190 of these were available for follow-up. One hundred seventy-three patients (91%) were successfully treated with ES alone, whereas 17 patients required operation. Stone size was of importance to attain complete clearance of CBDC as larger stones (greater than 1 cm) were significantly more difficult to extract endoscopically than smaller stones (p less than 0.01). A comparison between patients with one CBDC and those with two or more show a statistically significant difference in that the former group is easier to treat successfully (p less than 0.001).