Journal of minimal access surgery
October 15, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Laparoendoscopic rendezvous for paediatric cholecysto-choledocholithiasis: A safe and effective single-stage approach with technical insights.
Koiava L, Koiava O, Musiyarira L, Gavasheli S, Kartozia M, Kharashvili L, Kerkadze V, Abiatari I.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
Single-stage laparoendoscopic rendezvous cleared common bile duct stones in all seven children in a small series without complications.
What was studied
Retrospective single-centre series of 7 consecutive children (median age 14) with cholecysto-choledocholithiasis treated by laparoendoscopic rendezvous between 2021 and 2025.
Key findings
- Complete CBD stone clearance in all patients with no conversion or additional interventions
- Median operative time 110 min and median hospital stay 2 days
- No intraoperative or postoperative complications; mean follow-up 38.6 months with no recurrent stones
Clinical relevance
It offers a one-stage alternative to ERCP followed by cholecystectomy in selected children, avoiding a separate procedure.
Who should care
Limitations
Only seven patients at one centre without a comparison group, so safety and efficacy cannot be firmly established.
Consider LERV for selected older children with combined gallbladder and duct stones if you have the combined laparoscopic and endoscopic expertise.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Introduction
Paediatric choledocholithiasis is increasingly encountered in clinical practice. The conventional two-stage strategy of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy is effective but technically demanding and associated with procedure-related complications. Laparoendoscopic rendezvous (LERV) offers a single-stage minimally invasive alternative; however, paediatric evidence remains limited.
Patients and methods
This retrospective single-centre study included seven consecutive paediatric patients (4 males, 3 females; median age: 14 years; range: 9-17 years) with cholecysto-choledocholithiasis who underwent LERV between March 2021 and September 2025. The primary endpoint was complete common bile duct (CBD) stone clearance. Secondary endpoints included operative time, complications and length of hospital stay.
Results
LERV was successfully completed in all patients, achieving complete CBD stone clearance without conversion to open surgery or the need for additional interventions. Median operative time was 110 min (range: 80-140), and median hospital stay was 2 days (range: 2-4). No intraoperative or post-operative complications occurred. Mean follow-up was 38.6 months, with no late biliary complications or recurrent stones.
Conclusion
LERV appears to be a feasible and promising single-stage technique for selected paediatric patients with cholecysto-choledocholithiasis, providing high ductal clearance while avoiding additional procedures. The standardised step-by-step technique presented may facilitate reproducibility and broader adoption in paediatric surgical practice.
DOI
10.4103/jmas.jmas_193_26
PMID
42899824
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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