Risks include bile leak, retained stones, CBD stricture, bleeding, and conversion to open surgery. Careful case selection, intra-operative cholangiography, and choledochoscopy significantly reduce complications.

✦ Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration (LCBDE)

Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration (LCBDE)

Q: How is LCBDE different from ERCP?

ERCP clears stones via the mouth in a separate procedure before or after gallbladder surgery. LCBDE clears the bile duct during the same laparoscopic operation, avoiding a second intervention and preserving the sphincter.

Q: Who is suitable for LCBDE?

Patients with gallstones plus small-to-medium CBD stones, a dilated bile duct, and favourable anatomy. Very large stones, strictures, or difficult anatomy may still require ERCP or open exploration.

Q: Will a T-tube be left in place?

Sometimes — if a choledochotomy is performed and primary closure is risky, a T-tube is left for 2–6 weeks. Many LCBDEs can close primarily without a T-tube, based on intra-operative findings.

Common bile duct stones are cleared laparoscopically in the same sitting as gallbladder removal — a single-stage solution that avoids a separate ERCP.

90–150 min PROCEDURE

2–4 Days HOSPITAL STAY

>92% SUCCESS RATE

2 Weeks RECOVERY

What is Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration (LCBDE)?

Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration (LCBDE) is an advanced minimally invasive technique that treats bile duct stones in the same sitting as laparoscopic cholecystectomy — eliminating the need for a separate ERCP. The bile duct is accessed either through the cystic duct (trans-cystic) or directly (choledochotomy), stones are extracted with a basket or balloon under fluoroscopic or choledochoscopic guidance, and the gallbladder is removed. Dr. Abhishek performs LCBDE at Lux Hospitals for suitable patients with CBD stones, offering single-stage biliary clearance.

How the Procedure Works

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Begin

Standard four-port laparoscopy is established; Calot's triangle is dissected to expose the cystic duct.

Intra-operative Cholangiogram

Contrast is injected via the cystic duct under fluoroscopy to confirm stone location and biliary anatomy.

CBD Access

The bile duct is accessed either trans-cystically or via a small longitudinal choledochotomy depending on stone size.

Stone Extraction

Stones are retrieved with a wire basket, balloon catheter, or flexible choledochoscope for direct visualisation.

Closure & Cholecystectomy

Choledochotomy is closed over a T-tube or primarily; the gallbladder is then removed and ports are closed.

Outcomes

90–150 minDURATION

2–4 DaysHOSPITAL STAY

>92%SUCCESS RATE

Who Needs This Treatment?

→Single-stage clearance — gallbladder and bile duct stones in one sitting
→Avoids the need for a separate ERCP and sphincterotomy
→Preserves the sphincter of Oddi, reducing long-term reflux risk
→Shorter overall treatment time than two-stage management
→Uses choledochoscopy for direct confirmation of duct clearance
→Cost-effective and efficient for appropriate patients

LCBDE lets us treat the whole biliary problem in a single operation. For the right patient, it is elegant surgery — complete stone clearance, preserved sphincter function, and a single recovery period.

— Dr. Abhishek Katha, Consultant General & Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon, Lux Hospitals, Hyderabad

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How is LCBDE different from ERCP?+

What are the risks?+

Who is suitable for LCBDE?+

Will a T-tube be left in place?+

Not sure which treatment is right for you?

Book a consultation with Dr. Abhishek Katha and get a personalised treatment plan.

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