Endoscopic papillotomy and removal of gallstones.

Summarizing our results we come to the following conclusions: 1. In high risk but operable patients, EPT is a useful treatment in cases with choledocholithiasis and with papillary stenosis. 2. The risk of the procedure is lower than by surgical intervention. 3. Complications can occur in 7.3%, most of them within 24 hours. 4. The mortality rate was 1.7% and depends on the precise selection of the patients; on the knowledge of the post-papillotomy treatment and on the experience of the examiner. 5. This procedure, at the present time, should be limited to centers with well trained and experienced endoscopists.