The role of percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy lithotripsy in the treatment of hepatolithiasis

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this meta-analysis was to analyse the role of percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy lithotripsy in the treatment of hepatolithiasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We searched for relevant studies in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases and analysed the complete stone clearance rate, complication rate, minor complication rate, severe complication rate, biliary haemorrhage rate and stone recurrence rate of the included literature. Finally, a meta-analysis was conducted on them using Stata software. RESULTS: Eventually, 17 studies were included, involving a total of 1962 patients with hepatolithiasis. The complete stone clearance rate, complication rate, minor complication rate, severe complication rate, biliary haemorrhage rate and recurrence rate of stones and/or cholangitis in the treatment of hepatolithiasis with percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy lithotripsy (PTCSL) were 85.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 78.5%-91.3%), 12.5% (95% CI: 7.8%-18.0%), 10.2% (95% CI: 4.2%-18.1%), 2.6% (95% CI: 0.8%-5.1%), 3% (95% CI: 1.7%-4.5%) and 31.4% (95% CI: 21.8%-41.8%), respectively. The results of the meta-analysis showed that PTCSL had a considerable complete stone clearance rate and a relatively low complication rate in the treatment of hepatolithiasis, but the recurrence rate of hepatolithiasis still needed attention. CONCLUSIONS: As a minimally invasive technique for the treatment of hepatolithiasis, PTCSL has been widely used in clinical practice and is one of the effective methods for the treatment of hepatolithiasis.