Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has rapidly gained recognition and acceptance to the point that it is the procedure of choice for laparoscopically skilled surgeons in handling chronic cholecystitis and most cases of acute cholecystitis (1-3; personal communication, J. Mouret). The low morbidity and mortality rates associated with this approach as well as widespread patient acceptance has established this modality as the preferred method for managing this common disease (1,2,4,5). Controversy continues to surround the handling of common bile duct stones, and several options exist (5-8). This report details a method of laparoscopic choledochotomy as an adjuvant to handling this difficult problem.