‘Single-Sitting’ Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy and Endoscopic Removal of Common Bile Duct Stone for Cholelithiasis and Choledocholithiasis: a Feasibility Study

Abstract

'Single-sitting' laparoscopic cholecystectomy followed by endoscopic common bile duct clearance is emerging as a viable option for management of cholelithiasis and concomitant choledocholithiasis. The only disadvantage of the procedure is logistical since it requires co-ordination between two teams-the surgeons and the endoscopists. This limitation can be overcome in centres where both the procedures are performed by one team. With a considerable experience in endoscopy, we conducted a prospective study in a select group of patients to assess the feasibility of this single-sitting approach. The study included 38 patients with a radiological diagnosis of choledocholithiasis or jaundice at presentation. After laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the patients were turned prone and subjected to endoscopic retrograde cholangiogram, sphincterotomy and extraction of the common bile duct stone. The procedure was successful in 33 (87 %) of patients. The mean procedure time and hospital stay were 2 h, 20 min and 2 days, respectively. None of the patients had any major complications. We conclude that in a select group of patients, single-sitting laparoscopic cholecystectomy followed by endoscopic clearance of the common bile duct stone is safe and effective.Keywords Choledocholithiasis . CBD Stone . Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Common bile duct (CBD) stone occurs in about 3-15 % of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) [1][2][3]. In the era of open cholecystectomy, preoperative endoscopic clearance of CBD followed by open cholecystectomy was comparable [4][5][6] or even considered inferior [7] to single-stage cholecystectomy and choledocholithotomy. With minimally invasive surgery becoming the 'gold standard,' the endoscopic approach has seen a revival and has been considered a viable alternative to laparoscopic CBD exploration for concomitant CBD stone. Traditionally, gallstones with CBD stones are managed in two sittings i.e., endoscopic clearance of CBD stone followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy or vice versa [8]. This entails involvement of two teams led by the endoscopist and surgeon for CBD stones and gallstones, respectively. The endoscopic approach has been found to be similar to laparoscopic CBD exploration in terms of successful stone clearance, morbidity, and mortality except for longer hospital stay [9,10]. The latter disadvantage can be countered by carrying out the endoscopic CBD stone clearance as a single-sitting procedure in conjunction with LC [11]. The single-sitting approach, however, suffers from the logistic problem as it requires proper coordination between the surgeon and the endoscopist. We were encouraged to try this approach because of our considerable experience with both laparoscopy as well as endoscopy. We attempted to perform laparoscopic cholecystectomy as well as endoscopic clearance of the CBD stone ourselves without having the need to involve another team. In this report, we have presented our initial experience with this 'single-sitting' approach with respect to its...

Same Anesthesia Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography and Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

“…In both pediatric and adult patients, ERCP and laparoscopic cholecystectomy are typically performed on different days under 2 separate anesthetics. Successful combined ERCP and same session laparoscopic cholecystectomy has been reported in several studies in adult patients with choledocholithiasis (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Combined procedures have been performed in children, typically to limit anesthetic exposure in patients with complicated sickle cell disease or other complex medical problems.…”