Related Experiment Videos
Obstructive jaundice from open vessel clip
1Department of Radiology, University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque 87131.
Gastrointestinal Radiology
|July 1, 1988
Insights
A surgical clip migrated to the bile duct, causing obstructive jaundice and stone formation. This rare complication, forming a gallstone around a retained vessel clip, has not been previously documented.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Surgical Complications
- Biliary System Pathologies
Background:
- Cholecystectomy is a common surgical procedure.
- Complications can arise from retained surgical materials.
- Biliary stone formation is a known clinical issue.
Observation:
- A 49-year-old male presented with obstructive jaundice three years post-cholecystectomy.
- Surgical exploration revealed a large common bile duct stone.
- The stone was found to have formed around an open surgical vessel clip.
Findings:
- The case details the first reported instance of a migrated, open vessel clip causing biliary stone formation.
- Pathologic examination confirmed the stone's origin around the retained clip.
- This highlights a unique pathway for iatrogenic biliary calculus development.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of meticulous surgical technique and instrument security during cholecystectomy.
- It suggests a potential, albeit rare, long-term complication of retained surgical clips in the biliary system.
- Further vigilance is warranted for delayed presentations of biliary obstruction potentially linked to prior surgical interventions.
Abstract:
Obstructive jaundice occurred 3 years after cholecystectomy in a 49-year-old man. At surgery a large stone was discovered in the common bile duct. Pathologic examination showed that the stone had formed around an open vessel clip. Migration of an open vessel clip to the biliary system with subsequent stone formation has not been reported previously.