Gallstone removal – if small stones have passed from the gallbladder into the bile ducts, it is advisable to remove the bile duct stones before gallbladder surgery.
This can be done during an ERCP examination or by giving ursodeoxycholic acid, but one procedure is often not enough.
During ERCP, a guide wire is used to locate the bile duct, which is then made visible, together with the stones inside it, by injecting a contrast medium.
The stones are then moved out of the bile ducts into the duodenum using a balloon, a so-called Dormia basket or a stone-crushing device.
