A surgical procedure in which the common bile duct is incised or cut open, usually to remove gallstones or drain bile.
From choledoch + Greek '-tomy' (cutting or incision). This is one of the fundamental surgical procedures developed for treating bile duct problems.
This was one of the first successful surgeries for gallstones—doctors realized they could open the duct directly to access stones, revolutionizing treatment before laparoscopic surgery was invented.
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