Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration

Zeyad Loubnan, MD; John Yonge, MD; Manish S. Parikh, MD, FACS; Akuezunkpa Ude-Welcome, MD, FACS

Product Details
Product ID: ACS-5895
Year Produced: 2019
Length: 7 min.


This is a video of a 47 year-old woman with a past medical history of asthma and bipolar disorder who was referred for choledocholithiasis. For one month prior to admission, the patient reported upper abdominal pain following fatty meals. An abdominal ultrasound showed a 1.1cm common bile duct (CBD) containing multiple stones. There was no evidence of cholecystitis. The patient underwent a laparoscopic common bile duct exploration with intraoperative cholangiogram. The video begins with choledochoscopy via the cystic duct. Numerous stones were identified in the bile duct. After the placement of two stay sutures, the common bile duct was opened. Gauze was introduced into the abdominal cavity. The longitudinal ductotomy was extended and stones were extracted using graspers, irrigation and milking of the CBD. The stones were placed on the gauze. The choledochoscope was then introduced into the CBD all the way to the duodenum. The basket was deployed to retrieve multiple stones. The scope was advanced into the proximal biliary tree. Some extracted stones were removed from the abdomen with stone forceps. A balloon catheter was advanced in the CBD across the ampulla and then inflated for 30 seconds. Closure of the CBD was performed with 4-0 PDS interrupted sutures without a T-tube. A completion cholangiogram was performed via the cystic duct and demonstrated no filling defects in the biliary tree.