There have been some differences between the manifestations of biliary tract diseases in the Korean population and those in the populations of western countries, and these differences have been varying recently. A clinical analysis of 1000 patients who had been treated surgically for biliary diseases at the Department of General Surgery, St. Benedict Hospital, during the period of 10 years from January 1986 to December 1995 was done, and the results were compared with those of previous reports. The following subjects emerged as points of variance : 1) The incidence of the each biliary tract disease, 2) In calculous biliary disease, the location of the stone and the chemical composition of the stone, 3) Parasitic biliary disease, 4) The sex ratio and the age distribution, 5) The duration of illness, 6) Common symptoms and signs and their frequency, 7) Positive laboratory findings and the availability of radiologic diagnoses, 8) Common organisms in the bacterial culture, 9) The management of biliary diseases, and 10) Postoperative complications and the mortality rate. The clinical manifestations of biliary diseases have changed gradually and have been influenced by multiple factors: improvements inf living, education, and the environment, advances in diagnostic and therapeutic methods, etc.. Although these changes are due to the influences of westernization, they should also exhibit Korean-unique charecteristics. Also, we l expect further improvements in the future, and keep in mind those different points, there should be further suitable management, depending on changing features.
Age Distribution ; Biliary Tract Diseases* ; Biliary Tract* ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Sex Ratio

Intrahepatic stones are found predominantly in southeast Asia and causes serious problems including obstructive jaundice, cholangitis, and liver abscesses. The operative principles for resolving these problems are complete removal of the stones within intrahepatic and extrahepatic ducts and establishment of adequate drainage. The clinical features and follow-up results of 90 patients with intrahepatic stones who were treated surgically at the Department of Surgery of St. Benedict Hospital during the period of 10 years from January 1987 to December 1996 are presented. This study includes all the gallstones located in the intrahepatic ducts above the confluence of the main hepatic ducts. Biliary bypass operations were performed in 30 cases (33%) with 29 biliojejunostomies and one choledochoduodenostomy. Five of the 29 hepaticojejunostomies had subcutaneous jejunal limb. Partial hepatectomies were performed in 20 cases (22%) with 16 left lateral segmentectomy and 4 of left hepatic lobectomies. The overall postoperative complication rate was 40%: 70% in the hepatic resection group and 31% in the non-hepatic resection group. The relative incidence of good results was higher in the hepatic resection group (68%) than in the non-hepatic resection group (41%) and in the biliary bypass operation group (54%) than in the non-biliary bypass operation group (41%). In conclusion, an aggressive hepatic resection with biliary bypass operation should be performed, if permitted, in patients with intrahepatic stones.
Asia, Southeastern ; Cholangitis ; Choledochostomy ; Drainage ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gallstones ; Hepatectomy ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Liver Abscess ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Postoperative Complications