Biliary drainage tube evaluation after common bile duct exploration for choledocholithiasis.
OBJECTIVE
We studied the postoperative evaluation of transcystic duct tube drainage (C-tube), T-tube drainage (T-tube), and retrograde transhepatic biliary drainage after common bile duct exploration for patients with choledocholithiasis.


METHODS
We analyzed the preoperative clinical features of patients, intraoperative findings, postoperative status and management, daily output of bile, liver function, postoperative infections, and postoperative complications for patients who underwent common bile duct exploration including 16 C-tube, 17 T-tube, and 8 retrograde transhepatic biliary drainage cases.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in the preoperative clinical features, intraoperative findings, or the daily output of bile from the tube. The removal day of the biliary drainage tube and postoperative hospital stay were shorter in the C-tube group than in the T-tube and retrograde transhepatic biliary drainage groups. Aspartate amino-transferase level and body temperature in the C-tube group on day 7 were lower than those in the T-tube group, and the total bilirubin level in the C-tube group on day 14 was lower than in the T-tube and retrograde transhepatic biliary drainage groups. Moreover, postoperative complications occurred significantly less frequently in the C-tube group (25.0%) than in the T-tube group (76.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
C-tube drainage is thought to be most useful after common bile duct exploration for patients with choledocholithiasis.
Department of Surgery, Wakayama Rosai Hospital, 435-Koya, Wakayama 640-8505, Japan. hotta@naxnet.or.jp
Tsukasa
T
Hotta
Katsutoshi
K
Taniguchi
Yasuhito
Y
Kobayashi
Kiyofumi
K
Johata
Masaki
M
Sahara
Teiji
T
Naka
Tsunehiro
T
Maeda
Hiroshi
H
Tanimura
D003135:Common Bile Duct / Q000601:surgery*; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications