Management of major postcholecystectomy biliary injuries: An analysis of surgical results in 62 patients

Background: Management of injuries sustained during cholecystectomy requires expertise and involves a patient who is troubled, usually drained of personal resources. There has been an increase in incidence with laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The standard surgical management done for major biliary injuries is Roux-en-Y Hepaticojejunostomy (R-en-Y HJ). Materials and Methods: Patients managed surgically for definitive management of biliary injuries in the form of R-en-Y HJ were included. Data were collected from prospectively maintained records and through outpatient follow-up. Demographic data, early and late surgical complications, long-term outcomes, and follow-up results were analyzed. Results: Among the 62 patients, 26 were males, with a mean age of 37.4 ± 13.5 years. A total of 24 patients presented with ongoing biliary fistula. The Strasberg­Bismuth type of injury included types E1 in 8 (13%), E2 in 31 (50%), E3 in 19 (30.6%), and E4 in four patients (6.4%). There were no postoperative mortality and morbidity in 27.4% of patients. Atrophy­hypertrophy complex was seen in four patients, vascular injury in six patients, and an internal fistulisation with duodenum in two patients. Presence of comorbidities (P = 0.05), male gender (P = 0.03), tobacco use (P = 0.04), low albumin (P = 0.016), and more proximal (E4-E1) type of injury (P = 0.008) were independent predictors of postoperative morbidity (P < 0.05). The mean duration of patient follow-up was 26.2 ± 21.1 months. Conclusion: Optimization of preoperative nutrition, avoidance of intraoperative blood transfusion, proper timing of repair, and tension-free R-en-Y HJ draining all the ducts which is done at an experienced hepatobiliary center provide the best outcome

Distal malignant biliary obstruction: a prospective randomised trial comparing plastic and uncovered self-expanding metal stents in the palliation of symptomatic jaundice

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the safety and clinical effectiveness of 10Fr plastic biliary stents compared to uncovered self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) for palliative treatment of patients with inoperable extra-hepatic malignant biliary obstruction in a public hospital in South Africa.Methods: From January 2009 to December 2013, 40 patients who were admitted to a tertiary academic centre because of distal malignant biliary obstruction were enrolled in a prospective randomized study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive an uncovered SEMS or a plastic stent deployed through the biliary stricture during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).Results: Patient survival time in the two groups did not differ significantly (median: SEMS ­ 114 days; plastic ­ 107 days). Stent failure was more common in the plastic stent group (7/19 vs. 1/21). The results became significant after 6 months of follow-up. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of serious adverse events.Conclusions: SEMS had a longer duration of patency than plastic stents, which recommends their use in the palliative treatment of patients with biliary obstruction due to distal malignant biliary obstruction