Management of failed biliary repairs for major bile duct injuries after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
BACKGROUND
Many bile injuries are managed without referral to tertiary centers. Management of patients referred for a primary repair, or after a failed repair, was reviewed to compare outcomes.


METHODS
Retrospective review of data collected in prospective database.


RESULTS
A total of 133 patients had been treated over 12 years ending in December 2002. Forty-six (35%) were treated for failed earlier repairs and 40 (30%) had their primary surgical repair at our institution. Patients with a failed repair were referred at a longer interval (165 versus 9 days, p < 0.001), were more often diagnosed intraoperatively (28 [61%] versus 13 [33%], p = 0.009), and presented with biliary obstruction (41 [89%] versus 13 [33%], p < 0.001). Of the failed repairs, 26 patients (56%) had an earlier biliary-enteric anastomosis and 20 had primary end-to-end repair. One-third of failed repairs was successfully treated with stenting and was significantly more successful after a biliary-enteric anastomosis. Surgical revision of failed repairs was required in 27 patients (59%) and was more likely in earlier primary repairs. At a mean followup of 64 months, recurrent biliary strictures occurred in 5 patients (6%).


CONCLUSIONS
Management of a failed major bile duct repair requires multiple modalities, but eventually the majority of repairs require surgical revision. Good results can be expected for all surgical biliary repairs at tertiary centers.
Department of General Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
R Matthew
RM
Walsh
David P
DP
Vogt
Jeffrey L
JL
Ponsky
Nancy
N
Brown
Edward
E
Mascha
J Michael
JM
Henderson
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000601:surgery