My 89 year old mother had her gallbladder removed 10 years ago. she has a gallstone that is 8 cm in her bile duct. what is the best way to remove it?

Stone: I would recommend an expert in ercp. This expert should be able to offer that endoscopic procedure to access the bile duct combined with laser or other therapy to fragment the stone. Let me know where you are located and i will send you to a expert doctor in your area.

Several options: An 8 cm stone in the common bile duct is extremely unusual but should be addressed quickly. There are two main ways of dealing with this, she could have an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and have the stone extracted thru the duodenum with an endoscope - she may need lithotripsy to break up the stone first; she could have surgery, probably open but possibly laparoscopic.

Size?: It is very important to know if this is correct; is it 8 cm or 8 mm in size? If it is 8 cm it is very unsusual and likely would need open surgery.If it is 8 mm then a gastroenterologist should be able to remove it with ercp. Is it causing symptoms or problems? Does she have other underlying medical issues or risks that need to be considered?

Primary stone: She has what is referred to as a primary common bile duct stone, which means it formed in the duct that connects the liver to the intestine. She should get an endoscopy to look at the bile duct valve and remove the stone (ercp). If you leave it, it could get infection that can be rapidly progressive. See a GI doc with ERCP experience.