Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration (LCBDE) with SpyGlass Cholangioscopy

About the service

Based at the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital, we offer Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration (LCBDE) with SpyGlass Cholangioscopy at the same time as keyhole gallbladder removal surgery (laparoscopic cholecystectomy). This is a state-of-the-art, minimally invasive laparo-endoscopic procedure designed to diagnose and treat complex conditions affecting the bile duct.

The SpyGlass system is a very thin steerable endoscope featuring a miniature camera and powerful light, allowing clinicians to visualise gallstones and apply lithotripsy therapy to fragment stones for safe extraction.

The procedure is used to:

• remove or fragment large gallstones that have migrated into the bile duct for easy extraction
• clear the bile duct of stones at the same time of gallbladder removal by keyhole surgery
• obtain targeted biopsies (tissue samples)
• manage the narrowing of the bile duct (stenosis)

This treatment enables gallstones in the gallbladder and bile duct stones to be treated at the same time as gallbladder removal.

LCBDE is not widely performed and therefore most patients in the UK who have gallstones and bile duct stones are managed with the traditional two-stage pathway -  endoscopic treatment and then a later keyhole surgery to remove the gallbladder, both procedures usually carried out under general anaesthetic.

Key benefits of LCBDE SpyGlass Cholangioscopy when performed at the time of gallbladder removal surgery 

• higher rates of treatment success to clear the bile duct
• reduced risk of complications
• a single hospital admission rather than two
• shorter overall hospital stay
• increased patient satisfaction

Why choose us?

We deliver world-class expertise and our link to Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust ensures our patients benefit from highly skilled multidisciplinary teams. Our consultants have extensive expertise in a wide range of general surgery conditions, providing comprehensive care for all our patients.

Find out more

For further information contact our private referrals team:

• Call: +44 (0) 20 3311 7700
• Email: imperial.private.healthcare@nhs.net

Most major insurance companies cover the cost of treatment.