Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most frequently performed operations by general surgeons, with up to 1 million cholecystectomies performed annually in the United States alone. Despite familiarity, common bile duct injury occurs in no less than 0.2% of cholecystectomies, with significant associated morbidity. Understanding biliary anatomy, surgical techniques, pitfalls, and bailout maneuvers is critical to optimizing outcomes when encountering the horrible gallbladder. This article describes normal and aberrant biliary anatomy, complicated cholelithiasis, ways to recognize cholecystitis, and considerations of surgical approach.

UNASSIGNED: With the advancement of laparoscopic technology, the combination of laparoscopy, choledochoscopy, and holmium laser lithotripsy has emerged as an effective treatment modality for both choledocholithiasis and hepatolithiasis. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of this approach.
UNASSIGNED: Retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 76 patients diagnosed with choledocholithiasis and hepatolithiasis between April 2021 and March 2023. Patients were divided into two groups based on the treatment plan: the control group, which underwent traditional laparotomy and choledochoscopy lithotripsy (n = 38), and the experimental group, which underwent laparoscopy combined with choledochoscopy and holmium laser lithotripsy (n = 38). Comparative analysis was performed on various operation-related parameters, stone-free rate, complication rates, and changes in biochemical, liver function, inflammatory, stress response indicators, and pain scores between the two groups.
UNASSIGNED: The experimental group demonstrated significantly shorter stone removal time, reduced intraoperative bleeding, and shorter hospital stay compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the experimental group exhibited lower incidence of postoperative complications and lower pain scores at 2 weeks to 3 months post-operation (P < 0.05). Biochemical indicators including total bile acid (TBA), total bilirubin (TBIL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were significantly lower in the observation group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, stress and inflammation indicators were also lower in the experimental group (P < 0.05).
UNASSIGNED: The combination of laparoscopy, choledochoscopy, and holmium laser lithotripsy presents favorable therapeutic outcomes in the management of choledocholithiasis and hepatolithiasis, indicating its potential for widespread clinical application.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the application of choledochoscopy combined with double-cannula lavage in the treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP) with encapsulated necrosis and analyzed related inflammatory indexes.
METHODS: Thirty patients with AP with encapsulated necrosis were enrolled and treated with choledochoscopy and double-cannula lavage. Serum white blood cell (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and related inflammatory indexes were detected before and after surgery.
RESULTS: All of the participants who underwent the surgery recovered well and were discharged without serious complications; no deaths occurred. The serum WBC, PCT, and CRP of patients after surgery decreased compared with before the procedure, and the differences in WBC and CRP were statistically significant (P < 0.05); the difference in PCT was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Postoperatively, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α levels were higher than before surgery, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: The surgical method presented herein effectively controlled and alleviated the infection of patients; it also did not increase the risk of infection and can thus be considered a safe and effective surgical method.

The pathological features of intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasm (IOPN) of the bile duct include tumor cells that are rich in eosinophilic cytoplasm and arranged in papillary structures. Herein, we report a missed case of IOPN of the bile duct because of concomitant gallstones. A 70-year-old woman was hospitalized with upper abdominal discomfort. The primary diagnosis was choledocholithiasis following imaging examination. However, an unidentified mass was detected after the gallstones were removed. The mass appeared as many papillary protuberances surrounded by fish-egg-like mucosa when viewed by the choledochoscope and was confirmed as IOPN by pathological examination. The patient underwent choledochectomy and no recurrence was observed at the 6-month follow-up examination. In this report, peroral choledochoscopy demonstrated its advantages for the diagnosis of biliary diseases and acquisition of tissue specimens. Therefore, it may solve the challenge related to the lack of preoperative pathological evidence for bile duct tumors.

Introduction: Percutaneous endoscopic biliary lithectomy (PEBL) can be performed through preexisting drain tracts, offering ductal clearance and definitive management for patients with complicated gallstone disease unable to undergo conventional therapy. The technique has not been widely adopted by general surgeons. Herein, we describe our technique with surgeon-performed PEBL and present initial results. Materials and Methods: A single institutional retrospective review of the electronic medical record was performed for patients who underwent percutaneous choledochoscopy between February 2019 and November 2020. All operations were performed by 1 of 2 board-certified general surgeons with fellowship training in surgical endoscopy. Preoperative, operative, and postoperative variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Thirteen patients underwent PEBL. Seventeen total procedures were performed; 4 patients underwent repeat intervention. The diagnoses leading to PEBL were: cholelithiasis (8), choledocholithiasis (4), and recurrent pancreatitis (1). Complete ductal clearance was achieved in 9 patients (69.2%) during the initial procedure. The remaining 4 patients (30.8%) underwent repeat PEBL, at which point complete ductal clearance was then achieved. The percutaneous drain was removed at the time of final procedure in 5 patients (38.5%) or within 5 weeks in the remaining 8 (61.5%). No intraoperative complications occurred, and no pancreatic or biliary postoperative complications or recurrences were noted with a mean follow-up of 279 ± 240 days. Conclusion: Surgeon-performed PEBL is a safe and effective method of achieving biliary ductal clearance. The technique is readily achieved following basic endoscopic and fluoroscopic principles and should be understood by all physicians managing gallstone disease.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results obtained in terms of efficacy and safety during the learning curve of a surgical team in the technique of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration with cholecystectomy (LCBDE+LC) using choledochoscopy for the treatment of patients with cholelithiasis and choledocolithiasis or common bile duct stones (CBDS) (CDL).
METHODS: Single-center prospective analysis of patients treated with LCBDE+LC during the first 4 years of implementation of the technique. A descriptive and comparative analysis was carried out between groups according to the transcystic (TCi) or transcolecocal (TCo) approach, and also evolutionary by periods. The effectiveness of the technique was evaluated using the variable success rate and safety through the analysis of the overall complication rate and the bile leak rate as the most frequent adverse effect.
RESULTS: A total of 78 patients were analyzed. The most frequent approach was TCo (62%). The overall success rate was 92%. The TCi group had a shorter operating time, a lower overall complications rate and a shorter hospital stay. The TCo approach was related to a higher rate of clinically relevant bile leak (8%). Complex cases increased significantly during the learning curve without effect on the overall results.
CONCLUSIONS: LCBDE+LC is an effective and safe technique during the learning curve. Its results are comparable to those published by more experienced groups and do not present significant differences related to the evolution during learning period.

The development of a new cholangioscope, the SpyGlass™ Discover (Boston Scientific), has allowed the laparoscopic transcystic common bile duct exploration and stone clearance. The possibility of simultaneous treatment of choledocholithiasis during early laparoscopic cholecystectomy offers the opportunity to enormously reduce the time between acute cholecystitis diagnosis and the execution of cholecystectomy with better outcomes for patients. Furthermore, an altered anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract is not an obstacle to this technique. The aim of the study was to determine whether this new procedure is feasible, safe, and effective.
The investigation employs a retrospective case series study including all consecutive patients with a diagnosis of common bile duct stones undergoing cholecystectomy and intraoperative laparoscopic common bile duct clearance using SpyGlass™ Discover at IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia (Italy). Eighteen patients were included from May 2022 to May 2023.
A complete clearance of the common bile duct was obtained in 88.9% of patients. The mean postoperative length of stay was 3 days. No major complications occurred. After a median follow-up of 8 months, no recurrence of biliary events or readmissions occurred.
This procedure has proven to be feasible, safe, and effective.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of laparoscopy combined with choledochoscopy in the treatment of elderly patients with cholecystolithiasis complicated with choledocholithiasis.
METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 114 patients admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to January 2023 was conducted. These patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy combined with choledocholithiasis and were divided into an elderly group (≥ 60 years old) of 63 cases and a young and middle-aged group (< 60 years old) of 51 cases according to age. The efficacy and safety indicators of the two groups of patients were observed, and complications were followed up by telephone within 6 months after surgery. The follow-up deadline was June 2023.
RESULTS: Among the eligible patients (53 men, 61 women, average age 57 years), all were successfully operated, and 1 case was converted to laparotomy. The elderly and young and middle-aged groups were compared concerning hospitalisation time, bowel sound recovery time, and total postoperative complications, and the differences were statistically significant (P-values were 0.009, 0.006, and 0.039). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups of patients in terms of hospitalisation costs, intraoperative blood loss, operation time, drainage tube removal time, conversion to laparotomy rate, and stone clearance rate (P-values > 0 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Strict adherence to surgical standards and enhanced postoperative care resulted in similar efficacy and safety results for double endoscopy combined with the exploration of treatment for elderly and young patients with cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis.

BACKGROUND: To compare the efficacy of Three-scope combined (laparoscopic, rigid choledochoscopy and electronic choledochoscopy, TS) with laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) for patients with hepatolithiasis (HL).
METHODS: Between January 2019 and January 2020, 118 consecutive patients with HL treated with TS (TS group, n = 57) or LH (LH group, n = 61) were analyzed in this study. Perioperative and long-term outcomes, including operative time, intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion, postoperative bowel function recovery time, postoperative hospital stay, complication rate, stone removal rate, and stone recurrence rate, were compared and analyzed between the two groups.
RESULTS: Compared with the LH group, the TS group had significantly lower intraoperative blood loss and transfusions, significantly shorter operative time and hospital stay, and fewer complications (P < 0.05 for all). There was no significant difference in the final stone removal rate, stone recurrence rate and postoperative bowel function recovery time (P > 0.05 for all).
CONCLUSIONS: TS is a safe and effective treatment for HL and is superior to LH in terms of overall treatment outcome and complications.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) has been shown to be effective in managing choledocholithiasis whilst avoiding ERCP-related complications. However, patient and technical factors effects outcome. This study aimed to explore the matters effecting the failure of LCBDE.
METHODS: All patients who underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) between 2007 and 2021 were identified using a prospective database. Data were collected for patients who underwent LCBDE including demographics, pre-operative investigations, intra-operative findings, technique of bile duct clearance and clearance rates, and post-operative outcomes. Predictors of failed LCBDE were identified.
RESULTS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed in 3648 patients. Of these, 374 underwent LCBDE for suspected choledocholithiasis. Choledochoscopy was most frequently used (58.8%) with a success rate of 84.1%. Small cystic duct diameter (4.7 vs. 3.4 mm, P = 0.002), stone size >6 mm (P = 0.02), stone: cystic duct ratio >1 (P = 0.04), and >3 stones was associated with failed LCBDE by univariate analysis. Small cystic duct diameter (OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.26-0.77, P = 0.004) and stone size >6 mm (OR: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.06-0.92), P = 0.04) correlated with failure by multivariate analysis. Failed LCBDE was associated with increased length of stay (6.6 days vs. 3.1 days, P = 0.001), however the rate of serious complications or mortality was unaffected.
CONCLUSIONS: LCBDE is safe and effective in managing choledocholithiasis. Factors such as cystic duct diameter, size and number of CBD stones, and stone: cystic duct ratio are associated with increased likelihood of inadequate clearance. The presence of these factors can help clinicians in decision making during LCBDE to improve chance of success.