[Treatment of choledocholithiasis].

Passage of gallstones into the common bile duct occurs in 10-15% of patients with cholecystolithiasis. The incidence of common bile duct stones increases with age of the patient and can reach up to 50% in certain series. The diagnosis of choledocholithiasis is usually made by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC), either preoperatively or intraoperatively at the time of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Endoscopic sphincterotomy followed by balloon or basket extraction is the method of choice for the management of patients with common duct stones.