Laparoscopic treatment of a gastric outlet obstruction caused by a gallstone (Bouveret's syndrome)

Abstract

Duodenal impaction of a gallstone after its migration through a cholecystoduodenal fistula is an uncommon cause of gallstone ileus described as Bouveret's syndrome. Surgical treatment is recommended, but the morbidity and mortality rates are nearly 60% and 30%, respectively. To reduce these rates using improved endoluminal surgery, a laparoscopically assisted intraluminal gastric surgery could be considered. A 74 year-old woman was admitted with typical Bouveret's syndrome. An intraluminal gastric laparoscopy was performed. The large stone impacted in the first duodenum was removed through the pylorus and pulled into the stomach. After its mechanical fragmentation, the stone was extracted with a sterile retriever bag through the main trocar. In the case of Bouveret's syndrome, treatment of the duodenal obstruction is mandatory. Surgical treatment of the cholecystoduodenal fistula still is controversial. We never perform a one-stage procedure, and we reserve a biliary operation for the patient who remains symptomatic. In this way, laparoscopically assisted intraluminal gastric surgery with transpyloric extraction of the stone can be a safe and interesting approach for this type of pathology.