RT Journal
A1 SHAPIRO BS
T1 OPerative cholangiography and overlooked stones
JF Archives of Surgery
JO Archives of Surgery
YR 1979
FD April 1
VO 114
IS 4
SP 549
OP 549
DO 10.1001/archsurg.1979.01370280203035
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.1979.01370280203035
AB To the Editor.–In the June 1978 issue, Corlette and colleagues (113:729, 1978) described the use of operative cholangiography and discussed ways of producing a lower incidence of over-looked biliary calculi. It seems surprising to me in this day and age that neither the authors nor Griffen, in his editorial comment, mentioned the use of choledochoscopy. Choledochoscopy along with completion operative cholangiography can markedly diminish the incidence of retained common duct stones. Finnis1 has described the use of operative choledochoscopy to obviate completion cholangiography. In one general surgical private practice, the ability to use an operative choledochoscope has resulted in several instances in which otherwise retained common duct stones have been discovered. It would seem to me in light of current and improving technology that an operative choledochoscopy is a necessity for a complete exploration of the common bile duct.