Rouviere's Sulcus Analysis: A Critical Safety Analysis and a Guide to Safe Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the most frequent surgical operation in general surgery. The focus of recent research has been on improving the procedure's safety. Over 80% of healthy livers have Rouviere's sulcus (RVS), which is a natural notch in the right lobe that is present in proximity to the confluence of the bile duct. It is frequently considered an important component of safety during LC. RVS demarcates the area of the common bile duct (CBD) from the liver bed for the gall bladder. This research intends to evaluate the frequency, its relation to CBD, and the critical view of safety (CVS) during LC.

An observational study was performed in a cohort of 50 patients listed for LC between September 2021 and September 2022. The presence of RVS was confirmed after liver retraction and dissection commenced. After the creation of CVS, its relationship with CBD was documented. Additionally, the position of the cystic lymph node was also documented during the dissection.

The findings of this study revealed that out of 50 patients, only 40 (80%) had RVS. However, cystic lymph nodes were present more frequently in 48 (96%) patients. CVS was achieved in all the patients, and it revealed the presence of RVS above the cystic duct-CBD junction in 37 (74%), at the level of the junction in 11 (22%), and in two (4%) where the junction could not be demarcated.

RVS is a reliable marker to dissect laterally to CBD while doing LC, which does not require any dissection and can be appreciated early during the procedure. However, its presence along with the cystic lymph node gives a better anatomical understanding of the area of CBD, thereby assisting in conducting the procedure safely.