Bratcher Jason, Kasmin Franklin
Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Medical Center, 10 Nathan Perlman Place, First Avenue at 16th Street, New York, NY 10003, USA.
Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am. 2009 Oct;19(4):587-95. doi: 10.1016/j.giec.2009.07.004.
In more than 90% of choledocholithiasis cases, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with sphincterotomy and stone extraction are successful therapeutic options for clearance of the bile duct with the use of a stone retrieval balloon or basket. However, these techniques fail in a small percentage of patients with biliary stones, and advanced techniques for fragmentation must be used. Intraductal shock wave lithotripsy offers the endoscopist a therapeutic option that may be effective despite the difficulties of a large, impacted stone that cannot be captured by a basket, or a stricture that prohibits delivery of a stone beyond it. This article reviews the use of electrohydraulic lithotripsy and laser lithotripsy in the clinical setting.
