Incidence and associated mortality of retained common bile duct stones.

A hundred consecutive patients who underwent cholecystectomy and exploration of the common bile duct were studied. The traditional indications for exploration resulted in a yield of 55 percent positive explorations. There were nine patients with retained stones, three of whom died. The high mortality rate of patients with retained stones stresses the importance of systematic and thorough exploration of the biliary tree during initial operation. Choledochoscopy, when combined with cholangiography, may decrease the incidence of retained stones.