BENIGN STRICTURE OF THE BILE DUCTS

Abstract

Unfortunately, benign stricture of the bile ducts is no longer a surgical curiosity, many cases being encountered in large surgical clinics. It therefore seems desirable to present a collective review of the experience relative to this very formidable lesion at the Mayo Clinic. ANATOMY The major bile duct lies in a sheath formed by the right free border of the gastrohepatic omentum. The right and left hepatic ducts unite to form the main hepatic duct, which is about 2.5 cm. in length, and lies almost wholly within the portal fissure. The common duct, formed by the union of the cystic and hepatic ducts, is a little more than 7.5 cm. in length, runs in the free edge of the gastrohepatic omentum with the hepatic artery to the left and the portal vein behind, and empties into the second part of the duodenum about 7.5 cm. from the pylorus. It has