Suspected bile duct injuries and appropriate early referral can reduce chances of litigation

Bile duct injury following laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most feared complications related to performing a cholecystectomy. Early identification and repair can be life saving for patients with bile duct injuries. Since the early 1990s, laparoscopic cholecystecomy (LC) has replaced open cholecystectomy as the preferred treatment of symptomatic cholethiasis, biliary dyskinesia, and cholecystitis. LC has decreased the length of hospital stay and post-operative pain and resulted in a subsequent faster return to normal daily activities; nonetheless, LC has a higher incidence in bile duct injury as compared to open cholecystectomy. Nearly all studies report the incidence of bile duct injury following open cholecystectomy between 0.1% and 0.2%. In comparison, LC has a reported incidence of bile duct injury between 0.4% and 0.7%. The aim of this article is to review our initial experience with work-up and repair of bile duct injuries following LC performed at outside facilities and referred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) for definitive therapy. We will also review the classification of these injuries, preferred methods of diagnosis, and benefits of early treatment as well as factors that frequently lead to litigation following bile duct injury.