Abstract
We treated 82 cases of intrahepatic gallstones during the period from January 1977 to May 1988. Because this disease is benign, our standard procedure is cholecystectomy with choledocholithotomy and T-shaped tube drainage of common bile duct, followed by postoperative cholangioscopic lithotomy through the fistula where T-shaped tube was located. Of the 82, 73 cases (89.0%) underwent postoperative cholangioscopic lithotomy. The procedure was done in each patient on the average number of 3.9 times. Six (8.2%) out of 73 cases had residual intrahepatic gallstones, and 9 (13.4%) had recurrences of stones after complete lithotomy. In 8 out of the 9 recurrent cases the procedure was done before 1982. The average of 4.9 years passed before the recurrences. Nine (11.0%) patients died. Causes of death were infection of the biliary tract in 4, cancer in 2, and unkown in three. Electrohydraulic lithotriptor was very effective in cases of impacted giant gallstones.
