Abstract
Intraoperative ultrasound utilizing a miniture mechanical radial-scanning probe (UM -1W, 3.5 mm o. d., 7.5 MHz) was performed in 18 patients during laparoscopic biliary surgery. 1) The gallbladder (GB), cystic duct (CD), and extrahepatic bile ducts (BD's) were visualized in all patients. The narrow distal segment, main pancreatic duct and papilla were demonstrated in some cases, while the distal part of the bile duct was unsuccessful to study in 3 patients. 2) The portal vein and hepatic artery were also identified in most of the patients. 3) The principal lesion, either GB stone, GB polyp or common bile duct stone, for which the surgery was primarily undertaken, was diagnosed in all cases. 4) Ten coexisting diseases including CD stone or impacted stone in the GB neck were diagnosed by this method, 5 of which had not been found by preoperative examinations. Other 8 concomitant lesions, cholesterosis or periampullary diverticulum ets. were overlooked, but they did not interfere with a complete surgery. In conclusion, intraoperative ultrasonography with a radial scanner exerted an excel-lent visibility to show an otherwise undetectable coexisting disease, thereby facilitating a safer and more definite laparoscopic biliary surgery.
