Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration: 9 Years Experience from a Single Center.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) through cholangiotomy with T-tube placement in one séance for common bile duct stones (CBDS). METHODS: Between January 2005 and December 2010, a total of 99 patients with CBDS stones undergoing LCBDE with T-tube insertion at Enköping Hospital, Sweden, were registered prospectively. All patients were followed up by review of the patient records according to a standardized protocol. RESULTS: No severe intraoperative complications were registered. Four procedures required conversion to open cholecystectomy due to impacted stones or technical difficulty. The mean operative time was 194 min [(SD) 57 min]. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 4.8 days, SD 2.4 days. At secondary cholangiography, 2 (2%) retained stones were found. Two (2%) patients had minor bile leakage, which resolved spontaneously. None of the patients experienced biliary peritonitis, biliary fistula, pancreatitis, or cholangitis. No death within 30 days after surgery was seen. No patient was readmitted with clinical signs of stricture. CONCLUSION: If performed by a surgeon familiar with the technique, LCBDE is a safe and feasible alternative for managing CBDS. The advantages are most pronounced in the case of multiple and large CBDS. The risk for retained stones and stricture is low.

Biliary microflora in patients undergoing cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: The management of acute cholecystitis requires a sound knowledge of the biliary microflora. METHODS: Bile samples were taken for culture according to a standard routine during all cholecystectomies performed from April 2007 to February 2009 in the Department of Surgery at Enköping Hospital. The use of antibiotics within the 3-mo period before surgery, indication for surgery, prophylactic antibiotics, and post-operative complications were recorded prospectively. RESULTS: Altogether, 246 procedures were performed during the study period, of which 149 (62%) were done on women. The mean (±SD) age of the study subjects was 49±16 y. Bacterial growth was seen in cultures from 34 (14%) of the subjects. The mean age of subjects with positive cultures was 64 y and that of subjects with negative cultures was 47 y (p<0.001). Positive culture was seen in 16 (31%) of the 51 patients who underwent operations for acute cholecystitis, whereas positive cultures were obtained in 18 of 195 patients without acute cholecystitis (9%) (p<0.001). Resistance to ampicillin was recorded in three of 34 (9%) of the cultures with bacterial growth, to co-trimoxazole in one of the 34 (3%) cultures, to fluoroquinolones in one of the 34 (3%) cultures, and to cephalosporins in one of the 34 (3%) cultures. Resistance to piperacillin-tazobactam was not observed in any of the cultures. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, a positive culture was the only factor significantly associated with risk for post-operative infectious complications (p<0.05). DISCUSSION: Bacterial growth in the bile is observed more often in patients undergoing surgery for acute cholecystitis. The microflora of the bile is probably important for the outcome of surgery, but further studies are required for assessing the effectiveness of measures for preventing infectious post-operative complications.