Choledocholithiasis without cholecystolithiasis, after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography follow-up without cholecystectomy

Abstract

Objective: The widespread use of imaging methods increases the diagnosis and incidence of cholelithiasis. In recent years, the management of patients with cholelithiasis has improved significantly owing to significant advances in the surgical and endoscopic intervention. Materials and Methods: Between February 2015 and January 2018, the data of patients who underwent ERCP at our institution were collected prospectively and analyzed retrospectively. Forty-four patients included in the study were patients with choledocholithiasis without stones in the GB. Results: The mean age of 52 subjects (group A) included in the study was 64.83 ± 17.06, of which 23 (44.2%) were <65 years old and 29 (55.8%) were ≥65 years old. Twenty-four (46.2%) women and twenty-eight (53.8%) men were included in the study. Malignancy was suspected in 6 (11.5%) patients and no suspicion of malignancy was confirmed after Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ERCP) procedure. In group A, 14 patients (26.9%) required a second ERCP, while in group B, the number of patients requiring a second ERCP was 163 (21.3%). The mean length of hospital stay in group A and group B patients was 5.29 ± 3.38 and 6.29 ± 5.39, respectively, and the average cost was 474 $ ± 286 $ and 564 $ ± 664 $, respectively, with no statistical difference between the groups. Conclusions: In conclusion, we think that in patients with secondary or primary choledochal stones without gallstones and with functional GB might be following up without cholecystectomy after the stone is removed from the bile duct by ERCP