What to do if there are stones in the bile duct

Gallstones appear in the bile duct, even small stones can cause great harm to human health. If not treated in time, the stones will become larger and larger, and in severe cases may affect life safety. Once gallstones are diagnosed, treatment is needed as soon as possible. If you do not take it seriously, it will cause many complications in the body in the late stage. The earlier the gallstone disease is treated, the faster the body will recover.

What to do if there are stones in the bile duct?

1. Minimally invasive liver stone removal

Minimally invasive liver stone removal can be used for treatment. Minimally invasive liver-protecting lithotripsy is based on ERCP endoscopy. The duodenal major papilla balloon is used to dilate the bile duct outlet. The ERCP endoscope is sent into the common bile duct, through the common bile duct directly to the intrahepatic bile duct, and the intrahepatic bile duct is dilated using the intrahepatic bile duct balloon. The inner diameter of the intrahepatic bile duct is expanded to make it unobstructed and the stone removal channel can be completely removed at one time.

2. Surgical treatment

Surgical treatment is also available. The main surgical methods include high-positioned bile duct incision and stone removal, biliary and enteric drainage, or elimination of infectious lesions within the liver. The entire operation is performed endoscopically under video visualization. It is painless, trauma-free and bleeding-free. It can completely cure intrahepatic bile duct stones and preserve normal liver tissue in one go.

3. Laser lithotripsy

Once the patient is found to have residual bile duct stones through T-tube angiography after surgery, the T-tube can be removed after the sinus tract is formed, and a choledochoscope can be inserted through the sinus tract to remove the stones using lithotripsy, a basket, etc. under direct vision. If the stone is too large, laser lithotripsy, micro-explosion lithotripsy or other methods can be used to break the stone into small pieces before removal.

Dangers of intrahepatic bile duct stones

1. Biliary cirrhosis and portal hypertension

It will cause biliary cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Diffuse intrahepatic bile duct stones can gradually lead to biliary cirrhosis and further cause portal hypertension.

2. Cholecystitis

Acute suppurative cholecystitis will develop. When hepatobiliary stones are complicated by acute obstructive suppurative cholangitis, no matter where the stones are obstructed, septicemia and septic shock will occur, leading to multiple organ failure such as liver, kidney, lung, and heart.

3. Bronchial fistula

Liver abscess and bronchial fistula will form. Liver abscess may form on the basis of repeated attacks of acute obstructive suppurative cholangitis. Its clinical symptoms are similar to those of acute suppurative cholangitis. When the abscess breaks through to the lungs, bronchial bile fistula will be formed, and the clinical manifestations are coughing and coughing up pus.

4. Hepatobiliary stenosis

It will cause hepatobiliary stenosis. Hepatobiliary stones often lead to repeated inflammatory damage and repair of the bile duct wall, eventually causing fibrotic stenosis of the bile duct.