Technical elements of successful laparoscopic cholangiography as defined by radiographic criteria

Abstract

Objective: To define the elements of successful laparoscopic cholangiography.

Design: Retrospective review of 130 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic cholangiography.

Setting: Community hospital with a surgical residency.

Patients: Thirty-four males and 96 females, aged 16 to 86 years, with acute and chronic cholecystitis.

Intervention: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy during intraoperative cholangiography.

Main outcome measure: A cholangiogram that satisfactorily delineates biliary anatomy as defined by accepted radiologic criteria.

Results: A successful laparoscopic cholangiogram was obtained in 98.5% of the study group.

Conclusion: A safe and reliable technique to obtain a laparoscopic cholangiogram is described and validated using accepted radiologic criteria.