Bile duct injury after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background: Forty series reporting experience with laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the United States from 1989 to 1995 were reviewed. A total of 114,005 cases were analyzed and 561 major bile duct injuries (0.50%) and 401 bile leaks from the cystic duct or liver bed (0.38%) were recorded. Intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) was attempted in 41.5% of the laparoscopic cholecystectomies and was successful in 82.7%. In major bile duct injuries, the common bile duct/common hepatic duct were the most frequently injured (61.1%) and only 1.4% of the patients had complete transection. Methods: When reported, most of the bile duct injuries were managed surgically with a biliary-enteric anastomosis (41.8%) or via laparotomy and t-tube or stent placement (27.5%). The long-term success rate could not be determined because of the small number of series reporting this information. The management for bile leaks usually consisted of a drainage procedure (55.3%) performed endoscopically, percutaneously, or operatively. Results: The morbidity for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, excluding bile duct injuries or leaks, was 5.4% and the overall mortality was 0.06%. It was also noted that the conversion rate to an open procedure was 2.16%. Conclusions: It is concluded based on this review of laparoscopic cholecystectomies that the morbidity and mortality rates are similar to open surgery. In addition, the rate of bile duct injuries and leaks is higher than in open cholecystectomy. Furthermore, bile duct injuries can be minimized by lateral retraction of the gallbladder neck and careful dissection of Calot's triangle, the cystic duct–gallbladder junction, and the cystic duct–common bile duct junction. Received: 24 September 1996/Accepted: 28 July 1997     

腹腔镜胆囊切除术胆管损伤46例报告

目的探讨腹腔镜胆囊切除术（laparoscopic cholecystectomy，LC）中减少或避免胆管损伤的术中判断和操作技巧。方法回顾分析我院1992年10月～2005年10月39860例LC的临床资料，其中胆管损伤46例。结果行胆管裂口修补，置T管支撑引流26例；游离两断端，做端端吻合，T管支撑引流4例。T管支撑时间3～12个月。胆管空肠的Rouxen-Y吻合11例；副肝管结扎5例。胆管狭窄再手术4例，胆肠吻合口狭窄再手术2例。结论深刻的解剖认识，熟练的操作技巧可以避免或减少胆管损伤的发生。早期诊断和处理胆管损伤避免急性炎症期是防止多次胆道手术的重要举措。     

Bile duct complications after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Summary A retrospective review and analysis of patients referred to the Division of Gastroenterology and the Section of Gastrointestinal Surgery with common bile duct complications after laparoscopic cholecystectomy was undertaken in order to identify injury patterns, management, and outcome. Sixteen patients were identified over a 20-month period. Twelve patients had major common bile duct injuries and four had minor injuries (cystic duct leaks). Seventy-one percent of injuries occurred with surgeons who had done more than 13 laparoscopic cholecystectomies. Eighty-three percent of patients who had major ductal injury did not have a cholangiogram prior to the injury. Sixteen percent of patients with major common bile duct injuries had findings of acute cholecystitis and 58% of these major injuries were easy gallbladders. One-third of major injuries were recognized at operation. Two-thirds of immediate repairs failed. All cystic duct leaks were managed nonoperatively.It appears that bile duct complications after laparoscopic cholecystectomy are more common in the community than is reported. Bile duct complications occur with surgeons who are experienced and inexperienced with laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Common bile duct injuries, unrecognized at laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the majority of cases, usually occur with easy gallbladders. Operative cholangiography is not utilized in the majority of common bile duct injuries. When immediate repair of common bile duct injuries is undertaken, the majority are unsuccessful. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is invaluable in the diagnosis and management of bile duct complications. Cystic duct leaks may be managed successfully with endoscopic stents.Presented at the annual SAGES meeting, April 10–12, 1992, Washington, D.C.     

Bile duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomyrid=""

Background: Bile duct injury (BDI) is a severe complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) that is probably related to the effects of the learning curve. The aim of this prospective, institutional, and longitudinal study is to compare the incidence of BDI during LC in relation to the progressive experience of surgeons. Methods: A total of 784 LC were examined during a 6-year period. They were divided into the following three consecutive groups: group A (1993–94), group B (1995–96), and group C (1997–98). Incidence and type of BDI, experience of the surgeon, intra- or postoperative diagnosis, treatment performed to repair the injury, and early and late morbidity and mortality were evaluated. Results: The overall incidence of BDI was 1.4%. There were three cases of transection of the common bile duct, four partial lesions of the bile duct, and four cystic leakages. The number of BDI was maintained over the three different time periods; there were no statistical differences in the proportion of injuries among groups. Most BDI were incurred by experienced surgeons. In all, 36% of BDI were recognized intraoperatively. Hepaticojejunostomy, direct suture over a T-tube, and closure of the cystic stump were done to repair BDI. There was no additional morbidity or mortality in the patients with BDI. Conclusions: No relation was found between the experience of the surgeon and the number of BDI over the different periods of time. Therefore, BDI during LC cannot be attributed solely to the learning curve. Received: 12 July 1999/Accepted: 22 November 1999/Online publication: 8 May 2000     

应用“胆总管窗”行腹腔镜胆囊切除术

目的探讨“胆总管窗”在腹腔镜胆囊切除术中的应用价值。方法选择2009年6月1日至2009年10月31日期间行腹腔镜胆囊切除的患者55例,以“胆总管窗”为标志行腹腔镜胆囊切除术,观察术中“胆总管窗”以及肝总管和胆总管在肝门与“胆总管窗”连线的出现率,分析肝总管、胆总管、胆囊管与肝门至“胆总管窗”连线的关系。结果“胆总管窗”的出现率为92．7％（51／55）,98％肝总管和胆总管位于肝门与“胆总管窗”的连线上,并能被显露,胆囊管位于此线右侧。在胆囊急性炎症发作时,肝十二指肠韧带炎症水肿明显,大多数患者仍能观察到“胆总管窗”。结论运用“胆总管窗”作为解剖标志,在肝门与“胆总管窗”的连线上显露肝总管和胆总管,能够很好地显示肝总管、胆总管、胆囊管之间的关系。以“胆总管窗”为标记进行操作,有助于降低腹腔镜胆囊切除术中胆管损伤的发生率。     

A miniature probe enables clear demonstration of the cystic duct during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

We performed intraoperative ultrasonography with a miniature probe to explore the biliary anatomy, especially the cystic duct, during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. By using this radial-type probe introduced into a hard metal sheath with a balloon at the end, the plane containing Calot's triangle can be scanned easily when the gallbladder is extracted to the right side, thereby facilitating the identification of the cystic duct as well as the common ducts. In 30 cases, no common duct stone was found and the cystic duct was clearly identified. This radial-type miniature probe can be used to locate the cystic duct and avoid inadvertant incision or division of the common ducts. Received: 17 March 1997/Accepted: 10 July 1997     

腹腔镜胆囊切除胆管合并血管损伤

血管损伤是与腹腔镜胆囊切除胆管损伤相关的严重并发症,其发生率为6.7%～61.1%.损伤最多的是肝右动脉.血管损伤后不一定有症状,但严重者近期表现为肝缺血、坏死,远期可导致胆管狭窄、肝萎缩等.有的患者血管损伤后需行肝切除甚至肝移植治疗,因此对早期发现的血管损伤,必要时应做血管重建.     

Complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Switzerland

Background: We set out to analyze the technical aspects, intraoperative complications, morbidity, and mortality of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a multi-institutional study representative of Switzerland. Methods: Data were collected from 10,174 patients from 82 surgical services. A total of 353 different parameters per patient were included. Results: We found intraoperative complications in 34.4% of patients and had a conversion rate of 8.2%. This rate was significantly increased in patients with complicated cholelithiasis and in those with previous upper—but not lower—abdominal surgery. In most cases, conversions to open procedures were required because of technical difficulties due to inflammatory changes and/or unclear anatomical findings at the time of operation. Bleeding was a common intraoperative complication, that significantly increased the risk of conversion. Patients with loss of gallstones in the peritoneal cavity had increased rates of abscesses. The rate of common bile duct injuries was 0.31%, but it decreased significantly as the laparoscopic experience of the surgeon increased. The rate of common bile duct injuries was not increased in patients with acute cholecystitis or in the 1.32% of patients undergoing laparoscopic common bile duct exploration. Intraoperative cholangiography did not reduce the risk of common bile duct injuries, but it allowed them to be diagnosed intraoperatively in 75% of patients. Local complications were recorded in 4.79% of patients, and systemic complications were seen in 5.59%. The mortality rate was 0.2%. Conclusions: Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe procedure, the rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy is still substantial. The conversion rate depends both on the indication and intraoperative complications. There is still a 10.38% morbidity associated with the procedure; however, the incidence of common bile duct injuries, which decreases with growing laparoscopic experience, was relatively low. Received: 14 October 1997/Accepted: 21 January 1998     

Analysis of bile duct injuries (Stewart-Way classification) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

In order to investigate mechanisms underlying the occurrence of bile duct injuries (BDIs) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), we analyzed results for 34 patients (0.59%; 17 men, 17 women; average age, 57 years) with BDI out of 5750 LCs, based on questionnaire responses from surgical operators, records of direct interviews with these operators, operative reports, and videotapes of the operations. The indications for LC in the 34 patients were chronic cholecystitis in 32 patients and acute cholecystitis in 2. The BDIs in these patients were divided into four classes using the Stewart-Way classification: class I, incision (incomplete transection) of the common bile duct (CBD), n = 6 (17.6%); class II, lateral damage to the common hepatic duct (CHD), n = 9 (26.5%); class III, transection of the CBD or CHD, n = 15 (44.1%); and class IV, right hepatic duct or right segmental hepatic duct injuries, n = 4 (11.8%). In all class III and 3 class I cases (18 in total; incidence 53%), the mistake involved misidentifying the CBD as the cystic duct. Of all types (classes) of injuries, class III injuries showed the mildest gallbladder inflammation, and there was a significant (P = 0.0005) difference in the severity of inflammation between class II and III injuries. We conclude that complete transection of the CBD, which is rare in laparotomy, was the most common BDI pattern occurring during LC and that the underlying factor in the operator making this error was mistaking the CBD for the cystic duct.     

Treatment of iatrogenic common bile duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy through the laparoscopic insertion of a T-tube stent

Summary Iatrogenic injury to the common bile duct during laparoscopic cholecystectomy has previously necessitated an immediate laparotomy to alleviate bile leakage. In the course of 171 laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed at our hospital, intraoperative common bile duct injuries occurred in 2 patients. Each case was successfully treated using a laparoscopically placed T-tube, thus avoiding the need for a laparotomy. This novel intraoperative procedure successfully treated common bile duct injuries without resulting in postoperative complications.     

Bile duct injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: primary and long-term results from a single institution

Background Iatrogenic bile duct injury carries high morbidity. After the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy the incidence of these injuries has at least doubled, and even after the learning curve, the incidence has plateaued at the level of 0.5%. Methods A total of 32 patients sustained biliary tract injuries of the 3736 laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed in and around Turku University Central Hospital between January 1995 and April 2002. The data concerning primary treatment and long-term results were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Results The overall incidence for bile duct injuries, including all the minor injuries (cystic duct leaks and bile duct strictures), was 0.86%; for major injuries alone the incidence was 0.38%. Nineteen percent of the injuries were detected intraoperatively. All the cystic duct leaks were treated endoscopically with a 90% success rate. Of the bile duct strictures 88% were treated successfully with endoscopic techniques. Ninety-three percent of the major injuries, including tangential lesions of common bile duct and total transections, were treated operatively. The operation of choice was either hepaticojejunostomy or cholangiojejunostomy in 69% of the cases; the rest were treated with simple suturing over a T-tube or an endoscopically placed stent. The long-term results, with a median follow-up period of 7.5 years, are good in 79% of the operated patients and in 84% of the whole study population. Mortality rate was 3% and acute or chronic cholangitis was seen in 13% of the patients during follow-up. Conclusion Most of the minor bile duct injuries, including cystic duct leaks and bile duct strictures, are well treatable with endoscopic techniques, whereas most of the major injuries require operative treatment, which at optimal circumstances gives good results.     

腹腔镜胆囊切除术致胆管的热力损伤

目的探讨腹腔镜胆囊切除术致胆管热力损伤的原因、特点、处理及预防方法。方法回顾总结我院1992-2002年间收治的腹腔镜胆囊切除术致胆管热力损伤的8例临床资料。结果6例表现为穿孔性损伤：右肝管损伤1例，肝总管损伤4例，胆总管损伤1例，经过1次或1次以上手术治疗后痊愈；2例表现为延迟性胆管狭窄，均为肝总管损伤，再次手术后痊愈。随访1．5～9年，无胆管狭窄。结论与机械性胆管损伤相比，腹腔镜胆囊切除术致胆管热力损伤具有一定的特点，且其病情复杂、处理困难、处理方法灵活多样；娴熟的腹腔镜技术、正确掌握中转开腹指征以及丰富的胆道外科经验是预防和处理胆道热力损伤的关键。     

Management of major bile duct injuries after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the presentation, characteristics, related investigation, and treatment results of major bile duct injuries (MBDI) after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 27 patients who were treated between January 1995 and December 2002 for MBDI after LC at a single unit in a tertiary center. Major bile duct injury was defined according to the Strasberg classification. All patients underwent magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC), percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC), or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) to delineate the biliary anatomy and assess the level of injury. On the basis of the cholangiographic findings, all patients underwent Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy after a waiting period of 8-12 weeks.Results: A total of 29 hepaticojejunostomies were performed in 27 patients. Seventeen patients (63%) presented with biliary fistula and ascites; 10 (27%) presented with obstructive jaundice. In 14 patients (52%) the MBDI was identified during the LC. Twenty patients (74%) had undergone one or more procedure before referral. Eight patients (30%) had E1, five patients (18.5%) had E2, nine patients (33%) had E3, and five pattients (18.5%) had E4 injury. Two patients had early anastomotic stricture, for which redo hepaticojejunostomy with access loop was performed.Conclusions: Major bile duct injury after LC commonly presents with biliary fistula and ascites. High-injuries are common after LC. Hepaticojejunostomy repair yields excellent results in these cases.Presented at the First European Endoscopic Surgery Week, at the annual meeting of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES), Glasgow, Scotland 15–18 June 2003     

Managing bile duct injury during and after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now the treatment of choice for gallstones, but there has been concern that bile leakage after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy is more frequent than after an open cholecystectomy. We have experienced 16 patients with bile duct injury after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Five patients had a circumferential injurury to the major bile duct, and we employed a converted open technique for biliary reconstruction. The other 11 patients had partial injurury to the major bile duct, and we performed laparoscopic restoration; all 11 of these patients received endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) on the day after the operation and stenting for biliary decompression and drainage. No complications were identified and the duration of hospitalization in these patients was significantly shorter than in those who had the converted procedure. If intraoperative cholangiography is performed routinely, the presence and form of bile duct injury can be clearly identified, and the decision to restore the site of injury or to convert to the open technique for biliary reconstruction can be made immediately. Received for publication on May 26, 1998; accepted on Aug. 28, 1998     

Laparoscopic ultrasonography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background: This study assessed the effectiveness of laparoscopic ultrasonography in demonstrating biliary anatomy, confirming suspected pathology, and detecting unsuspected pathology. Methods: Laparoscopic ultrasonography was performed on 48 patients (17 M:31 M) who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. An Aloka 7.5-MHz linear laparoscopic ultrasound transducer was used for scanning. Results: Gallbladder stones were confirmed by laparoscopic ultrasonography in all patients and unsuspected pathology was found in five patients. Two patients were found to have common bile duct stones by laparoscopic ultrasonography and this was confirmed by laparoscopic cholangiography. Laparoscopic ultrasound was found to be helpful during dissection in four patients, particularly in a patient with Mirizzi syndrome. The entire common bile duct was visualized by laparoscopic ultrasonography in 40 patients but was poorly seen in eight patients. The mean time taken for the examination was 9 min (range 4–18 min). Conclusion: Laparoscopic ultrasound is useful during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Received: 8 November 1995/Accepted: 5 May 1996     

腹腔镜胆囊切除术胆道损伤的临床分析

目的 总结腹腔镜胆囊切除术胆道损伤的原因、预防措施、诊断及处理方法.方法 回顾分析我院从2008年1月～2013年1月处理的14例腹腔镜胆囊切除术胆道损伤的临床资料.结果 在14例患者中,A型（3例）经闭合离断的小胆管＋腹腔引流术治疗,C型（1例）和D型（5例）经肝胆管的修补＋T管引流术＋腹腔引流术治疗,E1型（3例）和E3型（1例）经肝管-空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术＋腹腔引流术治疗,E4型（1例）经融合左右肝管后再行的肝管-空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术＋腹腔引流术治疗.14例患者术后随访6～60月,均恢复良好.结论 胆道损伤是腹腔镜胆囊切除术的严重并发症,我们在了解其主要原因的同时应尽力避免损伤,一旦出现需及时正确处理,以达到满意的预后.     

Prospective randomized comparison of laparoscopic ultrasonography using a flexible-tip ultrasound probe and intraoperative dynamic cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background: We performed a prospective randomized comparison of laparoscopic intraoperative ultrasonography (LIOU) and dynamic intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Methods: LIOU and IOC were attempted in 518 consecutive patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The order in which the diagnostic procedures were performed was randomly assigned. Results: LIOU failed in two patients (0.4%), and there were 41 (7.9%) failed IOC. The common bile duct (CBD) was visualized reliably with both methods. Our patients showed sensitivities of 83.3% and 100% and specificities of 100% and 98.9%, with an overall accuracy of 99.2% and 98.9% for LIOU as compared to IOC for identifying unsuspected common bile duct stones. The time necessary for the examination was significantly shorter in LIOU than in IOC (7 versus 16 min). Conclusion: LIOU performed by experienced surgeons is a good and effective method to assess the CBD, including the neighboring structures of hepatoduodenal ligament. Using powerful, flexible-tip ultrasound probes, CBD exploration can be done in a longitudinal fashion, which is necessary for good anatomical clarity. A lack of adverse effects, shorter examination times, and lower costs are some of the advantages of this method. The most important advantage is the possibility of unlimited repetition, especially if there is difficulty identifying anatomic structures. In addition, there are some indications that LIOU has the potential to recognize major iatrogenic bile duct injuries. Received: 19 December 1996/Accepted: 23 April 1997     

The significance of cystic duct stones encountered during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background: Cystic duct stones (CDS) are occasionally encountered during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). They may be noticed during the dissection of the cystic pedicle or seen to extrude from the cystic duct (CD) when it is divided or opened to perform the intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC). The procedures for dealing with CDS range from the simple removal of stones that fall out when the duct is opened to incising the duct over an impacted stone to facilitate its removal or converting to open surgery due to a large stone in a CD adherent to the bile duct (e.g., Mirizzi syndrome). Therefore, we set out to establish criteria that might be predictive of CDS, to examine the technical problems caused by them, to look for the most effective ways of avoiding adverse consequences, especially the risk of missing bile duct stones. Methods: We performed a review and analysis of a database that included preoperative, operative, and postoperative data for all patients treated at our hospital who were found to have CDS. Results: In a series of 520 LC performed over a period of 5 years, 64 cases of CDS were documented (12.3%). The preoperative risk factors in 45 of these cases (70.3%) were recent sever acute pain with or without liver function test (LFT) derangement (34.3%), jaundice (14%), pancreatitis (14%), and previous acute cholecystitis (7.8%). At operation, a single stone was found in the CD in 64% of the cases; multiple stones were found in 36%. Dissection of the pedicle was difficult in 21 cases and had to be carried out fundus-first in four cases. The CD was reported to be wide in 18 cases; five of them eventually needed to be closed with endoloops. Operative difficulty was reported in three of 19 cases where there were no preoperative risk factors. Simple removal of the stones was possible in most cases. CDS needed be crushed, the CD incised, or the procedure converted to open in only five cases (7.8%). IOC was attempted in all cases; it was normal in 39 (61%) and failed in two cases (3%). Eighteen patients (28%) were found to have bile duct stones; another five (7.8%) had CBD dilation or debris indicating possible recent passage of stones. Fourteen transcystic and nine direct bile duct explorations were performed. Conclusion: Some CDS may slip from the gallbladder into the CD or the CBD during dissection. Careful retraction and manipulation should therefore be done to minimize this risk. Most CDS are easy to deal with, but some of them can result in increased operative difficulty. If IOC is not carried out on a routine basis, it becomes mandatory if CDS are encountered because \leq35% of them may be associated with bile duct stones. apd: 13 March 2001     

腹腔镜胆囊切除致胆管损伤5例

目的 探讨LC致胆管损伤的原因。方法 回顾性地分析了开展LC以来遇到的5例胆管损伤的具体原因,总结了防止LC致胆管损伤的几点经验。结果 5例中2例于术中发现,分别行“T”管支架引流和端端吻合“T”管支架引流,痊愈而无后遗症。另3例分别行右肝管空肠Roux-en-Y吻合和肝门腔肠Roux-en-Y吻合,其中2例发生逆行感染。结论 LC致胆管损伤最主要的原因并非是由于解剖异常,人为因素、电凝或电钩的盲目使用才是最主要的原因。