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World J Gastrointest Surg. Jul 27, 2026; 18(7): 120916
Published online Jul 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i7.120916
Published online Jul 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i7.120916
Laparoscopic choledocholithotomy for gallbladder and common bile duct stones: Outcomes of primary closure vs T-tube drainage
Kai Xu, Dong-Hai Zhou, Jing-Shan Liu, Department of General Surgery, Peking University Shougang Hospital, Beijing 100041, China
Jian Feng, Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shougang Hospital, Beijing 100144, China
Author contributions: Xu K designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, interpreted the data, drafted the manuscript, and revised it critically; Zhou DH and Feng J collected the clinical data, assisted in the analysis, and revised the manuscript; Liu JS supervised the study, provided administrative support, and approved the final version of the manuscript; and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: During the preparation of this work, the authors used no AI-based tools for content generation. Only conventional software (SPSS for statistics, Microsoft Word for writing) was employed. The authors take full responsibility for the integrity and originality of the work. The manuscript and the responses were both written by the authors.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Peking University Shougang Hospital (approval No. IRBK-2023-048-01). All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient. All patient data were anonymized before analysis.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this study. No financial or personal relationships with other people or organizations have influenced the work reported in this manuscript.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement—a checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-a checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: Technical appendix, statistical code, and dataset available from the corresponding author at
Corresponding author: Kai Xu, MD, Doctor, Department of General Surgery, Peking University Shougang Hospital, No. 9 Jinyuangzhuang Road, Beijing 100041, China.
Received: March 25, 2026
Revised: May 2, 2026
Accepted: May 14, 2026
Published online: July 27, 2026
Processing time: 124 Days and 1.1 Hours
Revised: May 2, 2026
Accepted: May 14, 2026
Published online: July 27, 2026
Processing time: 124 Days and 1.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) is a standard treatment for cholecystocholedocholithiasis. This retrospective cohort study compares primary closure (PC) vs T-tube drainage (TD) after LCBDE. The findings indicate that PC is a safe and feasible alternative. Compared to TD, PC is associated with faster operative times, reduced abdominal drainage, shorter hospital stays, lower medical costs, and a significantly decreased incidence of postoperative electrolyte disturbances, without increasing the risk of bile leakage or other major complications.