The spilled stone. A potential danger after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The application of laparoscopic techniques in digestive surgery to areas in which there was no previous experience has favored the appearance of new complications and clinical situations that were not observed during the open era. Initial opinion considered that stones left in the abdominal cavity were harmless, and a few clinical and experimental studies supported this opinion. But cumulative reports of cases suggest a potential danger. From 1991 to date, 49 cases of complications related to stones left in the abdominal cavity have been reported with severe complications that required an open surgical procedure. Stone spillage has not always been considered an indication of conversion of laparoscopic cholecystectomy but is now accepted as a source of infrequent but severe complications that may require a reintervention for treatment. Therefore it is recommended that efforts should be made to retrieve all spilled stones; the surgical procedure should be prolonged until this is achieved, in order to reduce one source of unpredictable morbidity. Open retrieval should be considered in selected cases if a large number or large stones are lost.