Spontaneous fistulisation of the common bile duct after transection by gunshot.

A 35-year-old man presented with a gunshot wound to his abdomen via his lower chest. Initial laparotomy did not identify any perforation or contamination. On day 3, a laparotomy under the hepatobiliary service discovered a gastric perforation, two lateral duodenal perforations and a complete transection of the common bile duct, presumably delayed perforation from the shockwave injury produced by the bullet. Contamination and haemodynamic instability precluded immediate reconstruction, and abdominal drains and external biliary drainage were established. High-volume duodenal fistula was managed with slow withdrawal of drains, and inadvertent dislodgement of the biliary drain in an outpatient setting resulted in spontaneous fistulisation of the bile duct to the lateral duodenal wall, with creation of a neo-bile duct. The patient remains well more than 1 year later, without external drainage despite no surgical reconstruction.

Post-discharge opioid prescribing after laparoscopic appendicectomy and cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Opioid over-prescription following surgery is a significant public health issue in most developed countries. Multiple studies have been conducted in the USA demonstrating and investigating the issue; however, there is a lack of literature addressing this topic in the Australian setting. The aim of this study is to review prescribing practices at an Australian tertiary referral hospital on discharge in patients having undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) or laparoscopic appendicetomy (LA). Additionally, to identify potential factors which influence medical officer prescribing practices. METHODS: A retrospective observational study on opioid prescribing practice on all patients who underwent LC or LA over a 12-month period at an Australian tertiary referral hospital. RESULTS: A total of 435 patients (223 LC, 214 LA) were prescribed a mean opioid dose on discharge of 25 oral morphine milli-equivalents (range 0-180 morphine milli-equivalents). Less opioids were prescribed following elective procedures (42% versus 10%, P < 0.001). There is a downward trend of opioid prescribing on discharge as the Junior Medical Officer clinical year progresses (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a lower rate of opiate prescription on discharge for LC and LA in an Australian setting when compared to the US data. There is a wide diversity of prescribing demonstrated. This indicates the need for better training of opioid prescribers to reduce over-prescribing.

Reformed gallbladder after laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy: correlation of surgical findings with ultrasound and CT imaging†.

Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy is a technique that is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern surgery. It avoids the cystic duct and artery where acute or chronic cholecystitis prevents a safe laparoscopic dissection of these structures. There are numerous reports of symptomatic cystic duct remnants after subtotal cholecystectomy in the literature on post-cholecystectomy syndrome. We present a case report of a 62-year-old man who underwent emergent laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy complicated by the development of a persistent, controlled bile leak. This was followed on serial ultrasound examinations and managed with multiple drain insertions and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The patient represented 4 months later with right upper quadrant pain and was found to have an apparently normal gallbladder on CT abdomen. Repeat laparoscopic cholecystectomy demonstrated a reformed gallbladder wall and was completed in the standard fashion. This case demonstrates an unexpected complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy with correlation of radiological and surgical findings.