Benign bile duct stricture following cholecystectomy: critical factors in management

Seventy-eight patients with benign bile duct stricture following cholecystectomy were referred for further management over an 8-year period. The majority (58 per cent) had multiple operations before referral. On presentation 90 per cent of patients had abnormal liver function tests, 19.5 per cent a depressed serum albumin, 49 per cent a history of previous major infection, and 14 per cent associated liver disease and portal hypertension. Seventy-two patients (92 per cent) were operated upon: 63 by stricture repair alone, 4 by stricture repair and portal systemic anastomosis, and one by splenorenal anastomosis alone. Of the patients treated by stricture repair alone and no other procedure 90 per cent have a good result with a mean follow-up of 3.3 years, and an operative (30-day) mortality of 3.2 per cent. There were no postoperative deaths in 61 patients in whom stricture repair alone was performed by direct suture techniques, but in the presence of portal hypertension and liver disease the mortality was 27 per cent. Factors influencing a satisfactory stricture repair were the number of previous operations, site of stricture and type of repair. Factors influencing mortality were the number of previous operations, a history of major infection, the site of stricture, pre-operative serum albumin concentration, and the presence of liver disease and portal hypertension.