How do bile duct injuries sustained during laparoscopic cholecystectomy differ from those during open cholecystectomy?
OBJECTIVE
Bile duct injuries sustained during laparoscopic cholecystectomy differ from those of open cholecystectomy. The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of their experience with 124 major bile duct injuries to identify these differences.


METHODS
Biliary injury in 83 patients (67%) was sustained during open cholecystectomy, while in 41 patients (33%), it occurred during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Intraoperative recognition was possible in 21 patients (25%) in the former group and in 14 patients (34%) in the latter (P < 0.05).


RESULTS
The median time of presentation after laparoscopic cholecystectomy was 37 days v 240 days after open cholecystectomy (P < 0.001). Twenty-eight patients presented with external biliary fistulae in both groups. Spontaneous closure of these fistulae occurred in 21 patients (75%) in the open cholecystectomy group and in only 10 patients (36%) in the laparoscopic group (P < 0.01). Bismuth type III or IV injuries were the commonest type in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group (N = 25; 61%) while Bismuth type I or II were the usual injuries in open cholecystectomy (N = 57; 69%) (P < 0.01). After hepaticojejunostomy, over a mean follow-up period of 3.4 years, stenosis of the hepaticojejunostomy was seen in two patients in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with open cholecystectomy, biliary injuries sustained during laparoscopic cholecystectomy are more likely to present earlier, are more often associated with persistent bile leaks, and are usually high injuries. However, the results of surgical repair do not appear to be different in these two groups.
Chaudhary
A
A
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Gobind Ballabh Pant Hospital, New Delhi, India. adarsh@nda.vsnl.net.in
Manisegran
M
M
Chandra
A
A
Agarwal
A K
AK
Sachdev
A K
AK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000293:injuries*; D001658:Biliary Fistula / Q000209:etiology; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017577:Cutaneous Fistula / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000145:classification* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome