AIM: To study the efficacy and the safety of laser lithotripsy without direct visual control by using a balloon catheter in patients with bile duct stones that could not be extracted by standard technique. METHODS: The seventeen patients (7 male and 10 female; mean age 67.8 years) with difficult common bile duct (CBD) stones were not amenable for conventional endoscopic maneuvers such as sphincterotomy and mechanical lithotripsy were included in this study. Laser wavelengths of 532 nm and 1064 nm as a double pulse were applied with pulse energy of 120 mJ. The laser fiber was advanced under fluoroscopic control through the ERCP balloon catheter. Laser lithotripsy was continued until the fragment size seemed to be less than 10 mm. Endoscopic extraction of the stones and fragments was performed with the use of the Dormia basket and balloon catheter. RESULTS: Bile duct clearance was achieved in 15 of 17 patients (88%). The mean number of treatment sessions was 1.7 ± 0.6. Endoscopic stone removal could not be achieved in 2 patients (7%). Adverse effects were noted in three patients (hemobilia, pancreatitis, and cholangitis). CONCLUSION: The Frequency Doubled Double Pulse Nd:YAG (FREDDY) laser may be an effective and safe technique in treatment of difficult bile duct stones.
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