Role of intraoperative cholangiography for detecting residual stones after biliary pancreatitis: still useful? A retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) may detect residual stones in the common bile duct (CBD) after acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP). The aim of the present study is to analyze the utility of IOC in detecting residual stones in patients undergoing cholecystectomy for ABP and if complications are related with this procedure. METHODS: Demographic and clinical factors were assessed in patients with mild ABP who underwent IOC during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Factors assessed included preoperative size of the CBD on ultrasonography, presence of stones in the gallbladder and the CBD, and IOC results. For the statistical analysis, χ (2) or Fisher’s exact tests to compare proportions and the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test for analysis of values with abnormal distribution were used. RESULTS: The study included 113 patients, 82 males (72.6%) and 31 females (27.4%), of mean age 46.9 ± 14.7 years (range 18–86 years). All preoperative laboratory indicators were elevated. The group of the patients with stones in the CBD diagnosed by IOC was divided in patients with diameters <0.8 mm and with diameters ≥0.8 mm of the CBD diagnosed preoperatively with ultrasound. The laboratory tests do not demonstrate difference statistically significative between these two groups. The group of the patients without stones in the CBD diagnosed by IOC was also divided in patients with diameters <0.8 mm and with diameters ≥0.8 mm of the CBD. Also in these two groups, the statistical analysis of the laboratory tests does not demonstrate significative difference. Most procedures were performed by specialists (64.6%), and all patients underwent IOC. IOC showed stones in 84/113 patients (74.3%). A comparison of patients with and without stones at IOC showed similar mean times from hospitalization to surgery (5.9 days [range 2–12 days] vs. 6.1 days [range 2–23 days]), from surgery until hospital discharge (2.0 days [range 0–4 days] vs. 2.2 days [range 0–11 days]), and overall length of stay (7.9 days [range 3–19 days] vs. 8.3 days [range 3–23 days]) (P > 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IOC is useful to diagnose residual CBD stones, without increasing complications related to the procedure itself.