title: Surgical relief of obstructive jaundice in a district general hospital.
abstract: Fifty consecutive patients with obstructive jaundice treated by operation in Canterbury & Thanet Health District hospitals under the care of one surgeon (RECC) over a 6-year period have been studied. The pathology was found to be common bile duct (CBD) stone in 22 patients (44%); pancreatic carcinoma in 15 (30%), 3 of whom also had CBD stones; chronic pancreatitis in 4 (8%); extrahepatic CBD carcinoma in 4 (8%); ampulla of Vater carcinoma in 3 (6%); primary duodenal carcinoma in 1 (2%); and portahepatis obstruction in 4 (8%). The 8 postoperative deaths (16%) were found to be associated with high preoperative levels of serum bilirubin, but all occurred in patients with malignant disease. Complications occurred in 20 patients (40%) and bile culture state was found to be intimately related to the morbidity rather than operative mortality. The study represents a careful audit of the pathology distribution and the surgical management of obstructive jaundice as seen in district hospitals.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001646:Bile / Q000382:microbiology; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D001663:Bilirubin