[Multi-technical management of biliary fistula]

Biliary fistula is an occasional complication of cholecystectomy and are usually associated to retained biliary stones, surgical trauma of the biliary ducts and local infection. They were mainly treated by surgical methods up to the acquisition of the new endoscopic and percutaneous techniques used together with parenteral and enteral nutrition and new antibiotics. A total of seven patients with diagnosis of biliary fistula were seen between 1984 and 1990 at the "Unidad de Gastroenterología y Cirugía Digestiva" of the Clínica Sanatrix en Caracas. Average age was 50 with ranged between 31 and 76, 4 were male and 3 female. The fistulas were in 1 due to necrotizing pancreatitis, in 3 to lost of the ligation of the cystic duct, 2 were due to accidental injury of the common duct and the last case was a partial dehiscence of a choledoco-jejunostomy after the resection of a common duct cyst. Four of the cases were choledoco-cutaneous fistula, one hepatocutaneous, two hepatoduodenal. All the seven patients had subhepatic collections, one had a retroperitoneal collection, two had subdiaphragmatic collections and one had multiple hepatic abscesses. The abdominal collections were treated by percutaneous drainage using mainly the Ring-McLean and Van Sonnenberg tubes. The fistula was occluded with biliary prosthesis in four cases, using either endoscopic, percutaneous or mixed technique to place the stent. Patency of the stents ranged between 2 weeks and 24 months. Control time was from 2 to 40 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)