Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the treatment of patients with common bile duct stones. Methods 108 patients with common bile duct stones were enrolled in our hospital between March 2018 and May 2022, and 54 patients in the observation group underwent LCBDE surgery, while another 54 patients in the control group underwent ERCP surgery. All patients were followed-up for 12 months after operation. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were assayed by ELISA. Results The total stone clearance rate in the observation was 100.0%, not significantly different compared to 98.2% in the control (P＞0.05); the surgical time and hospital stay in the observation group were(105.3±12.7)min and (6.3±1.2)d, much longer than [(63.9±7.8)min and (3.8±0.9)d, respectively, P＜0.05] in the control, and the intraoperational blood loss was (32.2±5.9)mL, much greater than [(10.6±2.5)mL, P＜0.05] in the control; one week after operation, there were no significant differences respect to liver function tests in the two groups (P＞0.05), and serum TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP levels in the two groups were also not significantly different [(59.5±12.8)pg/mL, (7.1±2.2)pg/mL and (14.6±3.3)mg/L vs. (56.8±11.7)pg/mL, (5.9±3.5)pg/mL and (14.7±4.6)mg/L, respectively, P>0.05]; there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications, such as infection, bile leakage and bleeding, between the two groups (16.7% vs. 13.0%, P>0.05); at the end of 12-month follow-up, the stone recurrence rates in the observation group was 3.7%, significantly lower than 14.8% in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion The efficacy of LCBDE and ERCP in treating patients with common bile duct stones is similar, but the LCBDE has a relatively lower stone recurrence.

Key words: Common bile duct stones, Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration, Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, Therapy