Laparoscopic Choledochoduodenostomy for Biliary Alleviation

Choledochoduodenostomy (CDD) was very useful alternatives for treatment for patients with common bile duct (CBD) stones, especially recurrent stones, giant stones with choledochal dilatation, and difficult or failed cases by endoscopic treatment. Furthermore, CDD was also applied to biliary bypass by malignant obstruction. In these days, minimal invasive laparoscopic approach is adapted in these disorders. We have conducted to perform a laparoscopic CDD for biliary alleviation for patients with endoscopic management of difficult CBD stone with choledochal dilatation. A side-to-side CDD was created intra-corporeally using water-tight running absorbable suture by handmade 4-0 monofilament with double side needles, starting from the right side of choledochus, and continued along posterior wall until the left side of the choledochus followed by anterior-wall anastomosis as the same manner. Five patients were treated successfully by this laparoscopic procedure and remained well without bile leakage and reflux cholangitis for the short-term follow-up. The median operative time and intracorporeally anastomosis time were 182 (167 209) min and 33 (30 38) min, respectively. Median blood loss was 32 (little-90) ml, median hospital stay was 7 (5 14) days, and median follow-up time was 18 months. Although this series was relatively small, this laparoscopic technique is feasible and safe for biliary alleviation, especially for endoscopic management of difficult or failed CBD stones, and would also potentially adapt to biliary bypass by malignant obstruction.