Single-stage laparoscopic treatment of gallstones and common bile duct stones in 120 unselected, consecutive patients.

Feasibility, success rate, safety, and short-term results of single-stage, laparoscopic, transcystic--whenever possible--or choledochotomic treatment of gallstones and common bile duct (CBD) stones were evaluated in 120 unselected patients. Of 1095 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 120 had ductal stones; among those patients, stones were suspected or proven in 72, 27 of whom were referred after failed endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) performed elsewhere; unsuspected CBD stones were discovered in 48. The procedure was successful in 116 patients. Four patients required conversion to open surgery. The transcystic access was feasible in 77 patients; a choledochotomy was required in 39. Incidence of retained CBD stones was 4.3%. Minor complications, major complications, and mortality were observed in 6.8%, 1.7%, and 0.8% of patients, respectively. Single-stage laparoscopic treatment of gallstones and CBD stones in unselected patients is safe and feasible in the majority of cases, with success rates and short-term results that are not inferior to reported results of ERCP/ES and cholecystectomy.