This book provides a concise overview of several critically important techniques and their applications within Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration (LCBDE). LCBDE is rapidly emerging as the preferential management option for treating patients with common bile duct (CBD) stones. Chapters within this book describe how this technique can be applied to manage patients with concomitant gallstones, which aims to increase the exploration of the CBD via the transcystic route. Particular mention is made for the use of energy devices to enable stone fragmentation within the bile duct also known as Lithotripsy-Assisted Bile duct Exploration by Laparoendoscopy (LABEL). Guidance is also provided on how to set-up an acute biliary service which can offer the single-stage management of concomitant gallstones and choledocholithiasis. The concepts of ‘Leveraging Access to Technology and Enhanced Surgical Techniques (LATEST)’ in LCBDE and ‘Biliary Surgery 2.0’ as the framework through which these techniques can be further enhanced are analysed. Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration features insight into how to perform these increasingly important procedures successfully and set-up a service within institutions that are yet to provide it. Therefore, it is a valuable resource for all medical professionals involved in the care of these patients.

This book, written by expert surgeons, offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of all aspects of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Coverage includes the indications for surgery, anesthesia, surgical technique, and the prevention and management of complications, with extensive reference to the latest clinical evidence and assessment of the benefits of the laparoscopic approach, for example in terms of outcomes and day surgery. New technologies, including SILS, NOTES, robotic surgery, and miniaturized instruments, are reviewed. The learning curve and training are also extensively discussed, and an individual chapter is devoted to the views of international experts in the field. Readers will find the book to be an ideal guide to this gold standard technique, which continues to evolve some 20 years after the National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference first published recommendations regarding indications for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

This volume addresses the current lack of knowledge of many general surgeons and trainees in the comprehensive management of patients with choledocholithiasis, with an emphasis on how the surgeon can provide single-stage management for the majority of patients. It begins with a historical perspective on surgical techniques for laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) and reviews the knowledge and experience gained during the “open” era. Subsequent chapters cover preoperative evaluation, decision-making, and operative management, including intraoperative cholangiography, intraoperative ultrasound, laparoscopic and open common bile duct exploration, laparoscopic placement of biliary stents and other adjuncts, and laparoscopic bilio-enteric bypass. The volume also provides the reader with material on the full spectrum of options including chapters on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and percutaneous approaches to the biliary tree. The chapters on individual procedures emphasize the technical aspects of the procedures, and include rich visual resources to guide the reader (illustrations, photographs, and videos to demonstrate typical cases and also challenging cases), as well as their outcomes and complication management. Finally, there is a discussion of how to identify and overcome logistical and institutional barriers to the adoption of LCBDE, and how simulation may be used to help teach the procedure. Choledocholithiasis: Comprehensive Surgical Management will be of great value and utility to General Surgeons, Hepatobiliary Surgeons, Surgical Residents and Fellows, Endoscopists, and Interventional Radiologists.

This issue of the Surgical Clinics of North America devoted to Biliary Surgery will include disucssions on the following topics: biliary anatomy and embryology; lithogenesis and bile metabolism; biliary imaging; cholecystitis; open cholecystectomy; biliary injuries; common bile duct exploration; disorders associated with gallstones; biliary dyskinesia; endoscopic evaluation of biliary disorders; biliary cysts; sclerosing cholangitis; proximal biliary malignancy; distal biliary malignancy; and laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a straightforward abdominal surgery performed worldwide, which can occasionally be mired with life-threatening complications when the safety principles are flouted. The tips and tricks of safety given in this book provide a complete insight into the variability of biliary anatomy, the nuances, and the technique of addressing the safety issues during routine and complicated procedures. Additionally, the book also explores the reasons for complications in real-life situations and suggests means for their avoidance. Using high-resolution video grabs, appropriately edited, an attempt has been made to explain all critical issues during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Key Features Explains the Do’s & Don’ts of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a concise and focused atlas form. Serves as an illustrated reference to perform a safe uncomplicated cholecystectomy for postgraduate students in general surgery, surgeons practicing minimally invasive surgery and hepatobiliary surgeons. Uses high quality operative videos to provide a detailed understanding of real-life situations and means to comply with safety measures.