[Intrahepatic B3 cholangiojejunostomy in the palliative surgery of high unresectable malignant biliary obstruction]

Palliating the effects of biliary obstruction is a major goal of therapy in patients with unresectable cancer at the hepatic duct confluence. We reviewed our expirience with intrahepatic holangioenteric bypass to the segmental bile duct B3 as a palliative therapy in patients with unresectable malignant diseases involving the ductal confluence or the common hepatic duct. Since March 2001, we have performed intrahepatic segmental bile duct B3 cholangiojejunostomy by Roux-en-Y fashion utilizing a round ligament approach in 13 patients with malignant obstructive jaundice due to unresectable hilar holangiocarcinoma (8 cases) and gallbladder cancer (5 cases). Mean hospital stay was 123 days and mean blood loss was 25060 mL. Postoperative complications occurred in 3 patients (23%), but there was no surgical complications such as postoperative bleeding, bile leakage or abscess formation. 30-day mortality was 7.7% (1 patient). Late complications (37.5%) were observed in 3 of the 8 patients who survived for more than 5 months after the surgery. Median survival after B3 cholangiojejunostomy was 9 months (range, 10 days-22 months). Median survival time was significantly greater in patients with hilar cholangio-carcinoma (11.8 months; range: 2-22 months) compared with those with gallbladder cancer (4.6 months; range: 10 days-11.5 months) (P-0.032 log rank test; P-0.049 Tarone-Ware test). Intrahepatic B3 cholangiojejunostomy when combined with careful patient selection, can provide useful palliation from jaundice, pruritus and cholangitis with acceptable mortality and morbidity rates.