Nghe An General Friendship Hospital performs endoscopic surgery combined with electrohydraulic lithotripsy using a flexible endoscope.
This method helps remove stones more thoroughly, reduces the risk of remaining stones, is less invasive, reduces post-operative pain and shortens recovery time compared to traditional open surgery.
On September 8, 2025, patient TTH (35 years old, residing in Minh Chau commune, Nghe An) was admitted to the Department of General Surgery, Nghe An General Hospital in a state of cholestatic inflammation, biliary tract infection due to common bile duct stones and stones in the right liver. The patient had a history of biliary tract stones, many recurrent infections, and had been treated with internal medicine but was ineffective.
After being examined, consulted and advised, on September 11, 2025, the patient was performed laparoscopic surgery to open the common bile duct combined with endoscopic lithotripsy using a flexible endoscope during surgery by Dr. Nguyen Huy Toan - Deputy Head of General Surgery Department and his team.
Laparoscopic surgery with intraoperative lithotripsy of the biliary tract is a technique that combines laparoscopy and the use of a flexible endoscope to examine and remove stones in the biliary tract. The doctor opens the common bile duct through laparoscopy, electro-hydraulic lithotripsy through the flexible endoscope, and then sutures the biliary tract. This method helps remove stones more thoroughly, reduces the risk of remaining stones, is less invasive, reduces postoperative pain, and shortens recovery time compared to traditional open surgery.
After surgery, patient H. recovered quickly. Ultrasound and cholangiography results through Kehr drainage showed that the bile duct was completely free of stones.
Nghe An General Hospital is currently the first medical facility in Nghe An to successfully deploy this technique, thanks to the system of 02 endoscopy rigs with separate screens, modern flexible endoscopes and new generation electro-hydraulic lithotripsy machines, meeting the requirements for complex biliary stone crushing cases. Previously, this technique was mainly performed at some large central hospitals such as 108 Military Central Hospital or Trung Vuong Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City)...
Compared with other interventional methods for treating gallstones, endoscopic lithotripsy has many advantages:
- Minimally invasive, less pain and postoperative complications.
- Effectively remove stones, reduce the risk of recurrence.
- Fast recovery time, shortened hospital stay.
- Treatment costs are lower than advanced methods such as percutaneous nephrolithotomy…
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Huong - Director of Nghe An General Friendship Hospital said:“The successful implementation of laparoscopic surgery with intraoperative lithotripsy is an important step forward, helping patients in Nghe An to access advanced treatment methods, which were previously only performed at a few large central hospitals. The hospital will continue to promote the application of advanced, specialized techniques to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, reduce costs and travel burdens for people in the area."
