Abstract: Objective:To investigate the safety of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration and lithotomy with primary closure and without placing drainage tube postoperatively.
Methods:Forty patients who received laparoscopic common bile duct exploration and lithotomy at the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat Sen University from January 2011 to June 2013 were prospectively analyzed. All the patients were randomly divided into 2 groups according to the random number table. Twenty patients in the experimental group did not received drainage tube placement, and the other 20 patients in the control group had subhepatic drainage after operation. The operation time, duration of hospital stay and incidence of postoperative complications were compared between the 2 groups. Patients received computed tomography and B sonography at postoperative month 1 and 3, and then patients were reexamined every 6 months till postoperative year 3. The follow up was ended on July 31, 2013. The measurement data and the count data were analyzed using the independent sample t test and the Fisher exact probability, respectively.
Results:Patients in the 2 groups were cured after the operation. The operation time and duration of hospital stay were (117±11)minutes and (5.6±0.6)days in the experimental group, and (108±12)minutes and (7.9±0.7)days in the control group, with significant difference between the 2 groups (t= 2.453, -11.388, P<0.05). No complications including bile leakage, residual stones, obstructive jaundice, abdominal bleeding and subphrenic infection were detected after the operation. Thirty one patients were followed up for 1 month to 2 years, no bile duct stone recurrence or biliary stricture were detected during the follow up.
Conclusion:Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration and lithotomy with primary closure and without placing drainage tube postoperatively is safe and feasible.