Iatrogenic bile duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has largely replaced open cholecystectomy as the standard of care for gallbladder excision. A major disadvantage of this trend has been the increased incidence of bile duct injuries, which, while uncommon, are significantly higher with laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Most injuries are not recognized at the time of surgery and present in a delayed fashion, leading to significant patient morbidity and a negative impact on the quality of life of patients. Treatment is governed by the time of presentation and the nature of the bile duct injury incurred and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Radiologists play a key role in management, with diagnosis of complications, accurate depiction of the biliary injury, and facilitating or providing definitive therapy depending on the type of injury.