Bile duct injury and bile leakage in laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Between January 1991 and July 1992, 350 laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed. There were six biliary complications (1.7 per cent): common bile duct (CBD) injury (one patient), delayed CBD necrosis (one), immediate postoperative bile leakage (one) and delayed bile leakage (three). All six patients required laparotomy. Primary repair with long-arm T tube splinting for 3 months was performed for the CBD injury. Religation of the cystic duct was carried out after immediate postoperative bile leakage. Laparotomy with T tube choledochostomy only was performed in the three patients with delayed bile leakage, and hepatojejunostomy Roux-en-Y was undertaken for CBD necrosis. The patient with primary repair of the CBD injury required choledochojejunostomy Roux-en-Y 18 months later for stenosis. Episodes of intermittent cholangitis occurred in the patient with CBD necrosis. The outcome for the four patients with bile leakage was good. There were no deaths.