title: Bile leak after T-tube removal--a scintigraphic study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A prospective study was performed to evaluate the incidence of bile leak after T-tube removal, using 99mTc labelled BULIDA scintigraphy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty seven patients with choledocholithiasis underwent choledocholithotomy and T-tube drainage. T-tubes were removed on 9--26 postoperative day (mean 13.4 days).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six (16%) patients had scintigraphic evidence of bile leak; 4 patients had leak demonstrated in the early phase only. One patient each had partial persistent leak and complete bile leak. All patients were managed nonsurgically; conservative treatment: (4), percutaneous drainage (PCD) of intra-abdominal collection (1) and endoscopic sphincterotomy and PCD of intra-abdominal collection (1). There was no significant difference in the leak rate when T-tubes were removed at < 2 weeks versus later than 2 weeks (P=.97).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T-tubes should be removed with extreme caution and treatment of symptomatic patients should be guided by clinical and scintigraphic findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Kacker
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sikora
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kaushik
mesh_terms: D001646:Bile; D004322:Drainage / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007440:Intubation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride