2011 Volume 25 Issue 2 Pages 175-182
Initial endoscopic treatment was attempted in 128 patients who were over 80 years old with common bile duct stones.
Complete stone removal was performed in 90 patients (70%). Long-term biliary stenting was selected in 28 patients (22%) for incomplete stone removal. Biliary cannulation could not be obtained in ten patients (8%), and either observation or operation was selected. Out of 28 patients with long-term biliary stenting, eight developed cholangitis. All these cases resolved by exchange of biliary stents. The mean duration from biliary stent placement until cholangitis onset was 367 days (33-1294 days). There was no death from cholangitis. Major complications included cerebral infarction in 2 patients who had anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy stopped for complete stone removal.
In elderly patients with common bile duct stones, long-term biliary stenting for incomplete stone removal may be an acceptable alternative.
