Percutaneous gallbladder stones removal and gallbladder ablation : a study of 10 cases

Abstract EN

Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) and stone extraction from the gallbladder has been reported as a safe method for removal of gallstones.

We report here our experience with percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) and stone extraction on 10 patients.

Four of these 10 patients had percutaneous chol¬ecystostomy (PC) and stone extraction only : Two of them showed a stone-free gallbladder at 13 and 22 months of follow-up.

The other 2 patients showed re¬sidual fragments seen at the immediate post-procedure follow-up.

Three pa¬tients had gallstones’ extraction and occlusion of the cystic duct by means of a catheter and absolute alcohol injection into the gallbladder lumen.

All showed a gallbladder lumen free of stones at 15-28 months.

Most importantly, 2 pa¬tients had gallstones’ extraction followed by electrocoagulation of the cystic duct and absolute alcohol injection into the gallbladder.

One patient had total gallbladder lumen ablation; the other patient had a gallbladder lumen with stone recurrence at 5 months of foUow-iq>.

Hie last patient had a patent cystic duct after electrocoagulation and no alcohol was injected.

It is concluded that percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) and gallstones’ extraction with or without gallbladder lumen ablation may have a role in treatment of selected patients.

Further investigation is needed in this regard.