title: Extrahepatic biliary tract injury: operative management plan.
abstract: Trauma to the extrahepatic biliary tract is rare but, if overlooked or improperly managed, may be associated with significant morbidity. The following is our most recent 6-year experience with this unusual injury. Among 949 patients undergoing laparotomy for acute trauma, there were 32 (3%) injuries to the gallbladder and five (0.5%) to the common bile duct. All patients with gallbladder injury underwent abdominal exploration because of associated trauma. Cholecystectomy was preferred for 24 (96%) of the 25 with penetrating wounds and three (43%) of the seven with blunt trauma. Nine (28%) patients developed postoperative complications but none were related to the biliary injury. All common bile duct injuries (CBD) were penetrating. Associated intra-abdominal trauma was always present. Partial lacerations were closed primarily over a T-tube. An intrapancreatic CBD lesion was managed by sphincteroplasty and stented with a T-tube. The one patient with complete transection underwent choledochoenterostomy. Postoperative complications were common (50%) but none were related to the biliary injury.
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000150:complications; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D003135:Common Bile Duct / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000601:surgery; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000601:surgery; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000601:surgery