Surgical Aspects of Choledocholithiasis

The problem of common duct stones has been discussed frequently in the past decade. That continued emphasis and discussion are advisable is suggested by the history of previous operation on the biliary tract in 27% of our patients who had choledocholithiasis. Other authors have noted a similar incidence of previous, unsuccessful operations in patients with common duct stones. 1 A group of 175 consecutive cases in which common duct stones were removed at operation by one of us (J. M. W.) during the period from 1940 to July, 1950, have been reviewed. The only cases discarded from the series were those in which choledocholithiasis was associated with tumors and strictures of the common duct or acute pancreatitis and the latter conditions were the primary consideration, clinically and at operation. Although such a study does not provide data on the incidence of choledocholithiasis in patients undergoing cholecystectomy, the incidence has ranged