Abstract: Objective To study the clinical characteristics and the stone recurrence of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) and laparoscopic common bile duct exploration(LCBDE), and to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods. Methods Clinical data of patients with choledocholithiasis admitted to our hospital from January 2012 to December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 184 cases had complete clinical data and were divided into ERCP group(94 cases) and LCBDE group(90 cases) according to surgical methods. The gender, age, maximum diameter of common bile duct, maximum diameter of calculi, number of calculi, recurrence of calculi(the first recurrence of common bile duct calculi in patients), length of stay, hospitalization costs and other related indicators were analyzed between two groups. Results There were significant differences in age, stone diameter and length of hospital stay between the two groups(all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in gender, the maximum diameter of common bile duct, number of stones and hospital expenses(all P>0.05). The first recurrence rate of choledocholithiasis was 9(9.57%) in ERCP group, and 10(11.11%) in LCBDE group, but the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05). Conclusion The two methods are effective for the treatment of choledocholithiasis. Elderly patients(>75 years) tend to choose ERCP, while patients with large stone diameter(≥1.5 cm) tend to choose LCBDE. The hospitalization time of ERCP group is shorter, and the recurrence of ERCP group is lower, but there is no statistical difference. The peak of the recurrence rate of the two types of operation is within one year after the operation.