The role of cholangiography nowadays

The purpose of this essay was to emphasize the legacy of Pablo Mirizzi, the creator of the Intraoperative Cholangiography procedure. Cholangiography consists to take images of the biliary tract by x-rays, using a radiopaque dye as a contrast medium. Intraoperative cholangiography plays an important role in diagnosing feeling defects in the biliary tract, anatomic variation or biliary injuries during treatment of gallbladder disease. This modality allows avoiding contraction of the sphincter of Oddi and preventing complications as acute pancreatitis. Mirizzi was a great personality of his time, attracted by science and culture, was devoted to surgery and painting, trying to achieve perfection in his technique. Late complication of gallbladder stones obstructing the biliary tract is known as Mirizzi Syndrome, described in 1948. The use of intraoperative cholangiography is important even in the modern era, despite the great technological advances achieved. It is important for every surgeon who performs gallbladder and biliary tract operations to know the technique and interpretation of the images obtained during cholangiography.