Ultrasonically and fluoroscopically guided therapeutic percutaneous catheter drainage of the gallbladder.

Percutaneous gallbladder drainage was performed in 16 poor surgical risk patients; 13 had acute cholecystitis, 1 had cholangitis and septicemia, 1 had undergone removal of a gallbladder calculus, and 1 had pancreatic carcinoma with bile duct occlusion. Catheterization and drainage of the gallbladder succeeded primarily in all patients. Catheter dislodgement occurred within 24 h in 1 patient without any side effects. One 87-year-old patient died 14 h after the insertion of the catheter from reasons unrelated to the drainage procedure. Percutaneous removal of gallbladder calculi failed in 3 patients, 2 of whom had been successfully treated for cholecystitis by catheter drainage. Percutaneous gallbladder drainage is a fast, low-risk, inexpensive procedure well suited for the treatment of acute, poor surgical risk patients.