Damage to extrahepatic bile ducts during laparoscopic cholecystectomy--own experience

In the years 1991-2000, 6873 patients were operated at the Department of General, Oncological and Thoracic Surgery in Central Medical Hospital in Warsaw, due to cholecystolithiasis. Extrahepatic bile ducts were damaged in 9 patients. These lesions included: pointed damage with electrocoagulation, bile duct incision or sectioning and the resection of the main stem of bile duct. In 7 patients, the lesions were diagnoses intraoperatively and the conversion was performed. Two patients required laparotomy at later stage. As complications developed, some patients required relaparotomy. Two patients died due to multiorgan failure. The injury of extrahepatic bile ducts remains a dangerous, potentially life-threatening complication of cholecystectomy, irrespective of the operative technique applied.