Migration of
cholecystectomy surgical clip into the common bile duct with subsequent stone formation is a rare phenomenon, one which may lead to complications including obstruction,
pain,
nausea,
vomiting and
fever. The mechanism of migration is largely unknown but may result from a combination of factors including
necrosis, intra-abdominal pressure or poor surgical technique with migrated
clip serving as a nidus for stone formation. We present a 55-year-old woman with
clip-induced stone impacted at the distal common bile duct 12 years post-
cholecystectomy and a review of the literature related to
cholecystectomy clip stone formation. In addition, we reviewed relevant English language case reports and literature reviews by searching PubMed using search terms 'stone', '
clip', '
cholecystectomy' and 'biliary'. There was no limit to the date of publication. Our study found 68 unduplicated cases of
clip-induced stones which had a wide range of onset and presenting systems. Further research is needed to identify risk factors, methods of prevention and benefits of early detection screening.