Residual biliary tract stones: nonoperative treatment of 570 patients.

A nonperative method has been employed over a period of 11 years in the treatment of 570 patients with residual biliary duct lithiasis. A successful instrumental extraction was accomplished in 543 of these patients (95.3%). These extractions were performed via the transcholedochal and the transcholecystic routes, the latter being used both for choledochal and gallbladder stones. The high percentage of successes, the extremely few complications, and the good long-term results turn this method into a definitely useful adjunct to the conventional therapy for biliary pathology.