THE USEFULNESS OF THE MEMORY® 8-WIRE BASKET FOR ENDOSCOPIC EXTRACTION OF COMMON BILE DUCT STONES AFTER ENDOSCOPIC SPHINCTEROTOMY

Abstract

Background: This study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of the Memory® 8-wire basket (Wilson Cook Medical, Winston-Salem, N. C., USA) for extracting small common bile duct stones after endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST). Methods: Sixty-one patients with common bile duct stones were underwent EST. In patients with stones with a diameter of 1 cm or more, stones were crushed into fragments with a diameter of less than 1 cm using a mechanical lithotriptor. Stones were extracted using a conventional 4-wire basket and a stone retrieval balloon catheter. After endoscopic and fluoroscopic confirmation of the absence of stones, stone extraction was again attempted using the Memory® 8-wire basket, which consists of a 5 Fr catheter sheath and a helical 8-wire nitinol monofilament basket. After a few days, the presence or absence of residual stones was examined by cholangiography via the ENBD tube. Results: Further extraction of stones was possible using the Memory® 8-wire basket in 47.5% (29/61) of the patients who were underwent extraction of stones by a 4 wire-basket and a stone retrieval balloon catheter. Cholangiography some days after using the Memory® 8-wire basket showed residual stones in only 2 patients (3.3%). Conclusions: The Memory® 8-wire basket was a useful device for the accurate and rapid endoscopic extraction of common bile duct stones with a diameter of less than 1 cm after EST.