The authors report a case of surgical ligation of the common bile duct and discuss the retrograde and transhepatic cholangiographic features. The stenosis was more extensive than suggested by the cause of the obstruction. The transhepatic insertion of a balloon catheter demonstrated the ligature by showing a zone of concentric constriction. The ligature was unable to be ruptured by means of an angioplasty catheter, which would nevertheless appear to be a dangerous technique.