The treatment of retained stones in the common bile duct with sodium cholate infusion

Abstract

Six patients with stones retained in the common bile duct after cholecystectomy and common duct exploration were treated by intraductal infusion of a sodium cholate solution. In the 5 patients whose stones were between the T tube and the duodenum the treatment was successful within a few days. A stone became transiently impacted in the ampullary region soon after beginning therapy in 3 patients and produced mild pancreatitis in 2. The only failure was in a patient whose stone was between the T tube and the liver.