Minilaparotomy as an aid to diagnosing liver disease.

A series of 168 patients who underwent minilaparotomy was analyzed. Twenty of these patients underwent omentoportography only and 148, open transhepatic cholangiogram. Diagnosis was obtained in 92 per cent of those undergoing evaluation of jaundice, and cholangiography was successful in 99 per cent of those with dilated ducts and in 91 per cent of the over-all group. tthe complications of the procedure have been infrequent and have included sepsis, wound infection and renal failure and, early in the series, bile leak and bleeding. The relative merits of this procedure compared with those percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography were evaluated.