[Electrohydraulic biliary lithotripsy. What approach?].

In 11 patients stones in the common bile duct or in intrahepatic bile ducts could not be extracted by the retrograde route after endoscopic sphincterotomy. Electro-hydraulic lithotripsy was then attempted, using the retrograde route in 4 cases, the transhepatic route in 3 cases and the extracorporeal shock wave technique in 7 cases. The stones could be divided into fragments small enough to be extracted in all patients. The respective indications of the 3 types of electro-hydraulic biliary lithotripsy are discussed.