Cholangiography and small duct injury

Eighteen instances of bile duct injury over the past 25 years have been reported. Manipulation of a minute cystic duct where the common bile duct was 3 mm in diameter or less was responsible for the division of the duct in eight cases. Most of the commercial catheters are sharp, about 2 mm in diameter, and can easily divide the bile duct if pushed too far. Since manipulation of the duct with a mosquito or tonsil clamp to insert other smaller catheters can also divide a small bile duct, we have decided to discontinue obtaining cholangiograms under these circumstances. Longitudinal splitting of two additional 3 mm ducts with a 3 mm dilator was another major source of injury. Overclipping of the cystic artery to involve the hepatic duct and overmobilization of the bile duct were other sources of injury. We have ceased attempting to obtain cholangiograms in patients with small cystic ducts because of the availability of endoscopic sphincterotomy, the low yield of the films under these circumstances, and fear of damaging the ducts. We use hepaticojejunostomy with Silastic tube stenting for repair of bile duct injuries.