Three-dimensional visualization technology for guiding one-step percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotripsy for the treatment of complex hepatolithiasis

BACKGROUND Biliary stone disease is a highly prevalent condition and a leading cause of hospitalization worldwide.Hepatolithiasis with associated strictures has high residual and recurrence rates after traditional multisession percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotripsy(PTCSL).AIM To study one-step PTCSL using the percutaneous transhepatic one-step biliary fistulation(PTOBF)technique guided by three-dimensional(3D)visualization.METHODS This was a retrospective,single-center study analyzing,140 patients who,between October 2016 and October 2023,underwent one-step PTCSL for hepatolithiasis.The patients were divided into two groups:The 3D-PTOBF group and the PTOBF group.Stone clearance on choledochoscopy,complications,and long-term clearance and recurrence rates were assessed.RESULTS Age,total bilirubin,direct bilirubin,Child-Pugh class,and stone location were similar between the 2 groups,but there was a significant difference in bile duct strictures,with biliary strictures more common in the 3D-PTOBF group(P=0.001).The median follow-up time was 55.0(55.0,512.0)days.The immediate stone clearance ratio(88.6%vs 27.1%,P=0.000)and stricture resolution ratio(97.1%vs 78.6%,P=0.001)in the 3D-PTOBF group were significantly greater than those in the PTOBF group.Postoperative complication(8.6%vs 41.4%,P=0.000)and stone recurrence rates(7.1%vs 38.6%,P=0.000)were significantly lower in the 3D-PTOBF group.CONCLUSION Three-dimensional visualization helps make one-step PTCSL a safe,effective,and promising treatment for patients with complicated primary hepatolithiasis.The perioperative and long-term outcomes are satisfactory for patients with complicated primary hepatolithiasis.This minimally invasive method has the potential to be used as a substitute for hepatobiliary surgery.

Application of DynaCT biliary soft tissue reconstruction technology in diagnosis and treatment of hepatolithiasis

BACKGROUND Hepatobiliary stone disease involves an intrahepatic bile duct stone that occurs above the confluence of the right and left hepatic ducts.One-step percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotripsy(PTCSL)using the percutaneous transhepatic one-step biliary fistulation(PTOBF)technique enables the clearing of intrahepatic stones and the resolution of strictures.However,hepatolithiasis with associated strictures still has high residual and recurrence rates after one-step PTCSL.DynaCT can achieve synchronized acquisition with a flat-panel detector during C-arm rotation.The technical approach and application value of DynaCT biliary soft tissue reconstruction technology for the diagnosis and treatment of hepatolithiasis with bile duct stenosis were evaluated in this study.AIM To explore the value of DynaCT biliary soft tissue reconstruction technology for the diagnosis and treatment of hepatolithiasis with bile duct stenosis,and to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the PTOBF technique guided by DynaCT biliary soft tissue reconstruction technology.METHODS The clinical data of 140 patients with complex biliary stenosis disease combined with bile duct stenosis who received PTOBF and were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from January 2020 to December 2024 were collected.The patients were divided into two groups:DynaCT-PTOBF group(70 patients)and conventional PTOBF group(70 patients).These groups were compared in terms of the preoperative bile duct stenosis,location of the liver segment where the stone was located,intraoperative operative time,immediate stone retrieval rate,successful stenosis dilatation rate,postoperative complication rate,postoperative reoperation rate,stone recurrence rate,and stenosis recurrence rate.RESULTS DynaCT biliary soft tissue reconstruction technology was successfully performed in 70 patients.The DynaCTPTOBF group had a higher detection rate of target bile ducts where bile duct stones and biliary strictures were located than the PTOBF group.Compared with the PTOBF group,the DynaCT-PTOBF group was characterized by a significantly greater immediate stone removal rate(68.6%vs 50.0%,P=0.025),greater immediate stenosis dilatation success rate(72.9%vs 55.7%,P=0.034),greater final stenosis release rate(91.4%vs 75.7%,P=0.012),shorter duration of intraoperative hemorrhage(3.14±2.00 vs 26.5±52.1,P=0.039),and lower incidence of distant cholangitis(2.9%vs 11.4%,P=0.49).There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the final stone removal rate,reoperation rate,or long-term complication incidence rate.CONCLUSION DynaCT biliary soft tissue reconstruction technology guiding the PTOBF technique in patients with hepatolithiasis with bile duct stenosis is feasible and accurate.It may be beneficial for optimizing the preoperative evaluation of the PTOBF technique.