Indications and results of sphincteroplasty in benign biliary diseases.

A retrospective analysis of 143 patients submitted to sphincteroplasty at the Department of Surgery, University of Chile Clinical Hospital was performed. A significant percentage of these patients (90%) were admitted due to acute biliary tract disease with or without cholangitis. The standard operative procedure was anterior transduodenal sphincteroplasty with supraduodenal choledochal exploration leaving a choledochostomy. A high number of our cases presented with intrahepatic lithiasis (23.8%). The morbidity was 15.4% and the 30 days post operative mortality rate was 4.9%, similar to other reports. Residual stones were observed in 10 patients (7%), and were successfully removed by other procedures. Three patients showed recurrent stenosis of the papilla and were operated on again with good results.