Long-term follow-up after bilioenteric anastomosis for benign bile duct stricture

The authors provide a prospective evaluation of long-term results after bilioenteric anastomoses for benign biliary stricture.

With the advent of laparoscopic techniques, the frequency of bile duct injury after operation has increased. Reports on the operative management of these injuries have not provided long-term follow-up. Over a similar period, reports of both endoscopic and invasive radiographic methods as primary treatment for bile duct stricture have compared success rates to antiquated surgical reports.

A protocol whereby preoperative radiographic (e.g., cholangiogram, computed tomographic scan, ultrasound), biochemical (e.g., alkaline phosphatase, and total bilirubin), and clinical evaluation was combined with ongoing postoperative evaluation and follow-up at approximately 6-month intervals. A total of 111 patients were evaluated from 1985 to 1995. Patients were categorized in three groups: 1) those with postoperative injuries during open and laparoscopic gallbladder surgery (31 patients), 2) those undergoing operation for pain associated with chronic pancreatitis who have distal common bile duct stenoses (64 patients), and 3) those with nonchronic pancreatitis-associated benign bile duct strictures (16 patients).

Mean follow-up was 60 months. Overall preoperative alkaline phosphatase was 640 units/L with a range of 280 to 1860 units/L. All patients had abnormally elevated alkaline phosphatase. Only 3 of 111 patients have had mild persistent elevation after operation. Clinical jaundice, present in 49 of 111 patients, was resolved uniformly by operative decompression. Total bilirubin was elevated abnormally in 56 of 111 patients and also was uniformly corrected by operation.

These data support the careful combined use of endoscopy, invasive radiology, and surgery in the management of benign strictures of the biliary tree. These data further suggest a success rate for surgical management that, over long-term follow-up, appears to exceed that found using alternative measures. Alternative methods should measure their success rates against success rates currently achieved by operative management.