Retrospective analysis on cholecystectomy for 478 cases with primary common bile duct stones

Objective To study the possible association between cholecystectomy and postoperative primary common bile duct stones. Methods We retrieved data of 478 cases treated with cholecystectomy and endoscopic duodenal papilla sphincterotomy admitted into department of general surgery of first and second hospital of China Medical University from January 1994 to December 2003 to calculate ratio of cases with primary common bile duct stones posterior to cholecystectomy to those with primary common bile duct stones. At the same time, classification variable and continuous variable were analyzed in cases with primary common bile duct stones in groups with or without cholecystectomy. Results Of all, 61 cases (14.1) with primary common bile duct stones had history of cholecystectomy. The interval between cholecystectomy and occurrence of primary common bile duct stones was mean 8.23 years (2-28 years). Cases with primary common bile duct stones after treatment with cholecystectomy were more easily reliable to be accompanied by acute cholangiotitis (χ~2=8.259, P0.01), mostly multiple stones or sand-like stones (χ~2= 9.030, P0.01). Conclusions Cholecystectomy may be a risk factor for primary common bile duct stones. Cases with primary common bile duct stones posterior to cholecystectomy are more easily complicated by bile infection, as indicates that infection may be responsible for primary common bile duct stones after treatment with cholecystectomy.