Management of suspected common bile duct stones on cholangiogram during same-stay cholecystectomy for acute gallstone-related disease

Recent data have suggested that upfront cholecystectomy should be performed even in the presence of moderately abnormal liver function tests (LFTs). As a consequence, more common bile duct (CBD) stones are discovered on intra-operative cholangiogram. We assessed the presentation and management of such patients to refine their management plan.

Adult patients (>16 years) with an acute gallstone-related disease who had undergone same-stay cholecystectomy from January 2013 to January 2015 were retrospectively assessed. We excluded patients with pre-operative endoscopic CBD exploration.

Among the 612 patients with same-stay cholecystectomy, 399 patients were included in the study, and 213 were excluded because of a pre-operative CBD exploration. Fifty patients (12.5%) presented an image of CBD stone on the intra-operative cholangiogram. Such patients were younger (47 vs. 55 years, P = .01) and less likely to present with fever (1 vs. 11.7%, P = .04) or signs of cholecystitis on ultrasound (66 vs. 83.7%, P = .003). Admission LFTs were higher in patients with an image of a stone. Among the 50 patients with an image on cholangiogram, a stone was confirmed in 26 (52%). Most patients (n = 32) underwent post-operative assessment with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). LFTs did not predict the presence of a confirmed stone. However, the absence of contrast passage into the duodenum was negatively associated with a confirmed stone (P = .08), and a filling defect was positively associated with one (P = .11). Most confirmed stones were successfully extracted by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram (ERCP) (25/26, 96%), except in one patient who needed a per-cutaneous approach because of duodenal diverticuli.

Same-stay cholecystectomy can (and should) be performed even in the presence of moderately abnormal liver function tests. The cholangiogram suspicion of a CBD stone is confirmed in only half of the patients (more often in the presence of a filling defect, and less often with the absence of contrast passage). All stones can be safely treated after surgery (most by ERCP).