Objective To investigate the causes of repeated operations in patients with biliary diseases.Methods The clinical data of 265 patients who received repeated operations at the Jinshan Branch of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital from January 2005 to June 2011 were retrospectively analyzed.The causes of repeated operations were analyzed. The first reoperation aimed at removing the calculi completely,repairing the injured biliary ducts and managing malignant tumors. The primary surgical procesures of the first reoperation included choledochotomy + T tube drainage,choledochotomy + Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy,endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography + endoscopic sphincterotomy,choledochotomy + hepatectomy + T tube drainage or Rouxen-Y choledochojejunostomy,choledochotomy + biliary-endo-drainage,end-to-end anastomosis of bile duct + T tube drainage,radical or palliative resection of tumor,endoscopic biliary stent drainage or exploratory laparotomy.The second and multiple reoperations aimed at reconstructing the passage for biliary drainage. All data were analyzed using the chi-square test.Results A total of 69.8％ (120/172) of patients who had recurrent or retained calculi received first reoperation,which was significantly higher than 31.2％ ( 29/93 ) of those who received second or multiple reoperations (x2 =36.51,P ＜ 0.05 ).A total of 58.1％ (54/93) of patients who had benign stenosis of bilioenteric anastomosis received multiple reoperations,which was significantly higher than 4.1％ (7/172) than those who received first reoperation (x2 ＝ 99.32,P ＜ 0.05 ).Of the 265 patients,46 had complications.The incidence of complications of patients who receive first reoperation was 10.5％ ( 18/172),which was significantly lower than 30.1％ (28/93) of patients who received second or multiple reoperations ( x2 =13.61,P ＜ 0.05 ).Six patients died of hemorrhagic shock or multiple organ syndrome dysfunction postoperatively.The mortality rates for patients who received first reoperation and second or multiple reoperations were 1.7％(3/172) and 3.2％ (3/93),respectively,with no significant difference ( x2 ＝ 0.59,P ＞ 0.05 ).Conclusions The causes for reoperation of biliary disease are muhifactorial.Full assessment of the status of biliary diseases and ample preperation preoperatively,careful operation and precise and rational selection of operative procedures are keys to decrease the reoperative rates and perioperative complications.