Duct-To-Duct Biliary Anastomosis with Removable Internal Biliary Stent During Major Hepatectomy Extended to the Biliary Confluence.

BACKGROUND: Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (HJ) currently represents the gold standard after resection of the biliary confluence. This non-physiological reconstruction poses several problems such as repeated cholangitis or stricture without conventional endoscopic access. Our aim was to describe and to report both feasibility and results of duct-to-duct anastomosis with removable internal biliary drain (RIBS) as an alternative technique to the HJ after resection of the biliary confluence in patients undergoing major liver resection. METHODS: Between January 2014 and January 2018, all patients who underwent a major hepatectomy associated with resection of the biliary confluence and reconstruction by duct-to-duct biliary anastomosis with RIBS were retrospectively included. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, pre- and postoperative outcomes, early and late biliary complications, endoscopic complications, and clinical follow-up were collected. RESULTS: Twelve patients were included. The operative time was 326 ± 45 min (range 240-380 min). There was no postoperative mortality. Only one patient experienced biliary anastomotic leakage treated exclusively by radiological and endoscopic drainage. Four patients had an asymptomatic stricture of the biliary anastomosis detected by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) during the extraction of the RIBS requiring iterative dilatation and replacement of the RIBS. Among 21 performed ERCP, no complications such as failure of RIBS extraction, duodenal perforation, bleeding after sphincterotomy, cholangitis, or pancreatitis were observed. After a mean and a median follow-up of respectively 15.0 ± 14.9 and 8.7 months (range 2.0-46.1 months), no cholangitis occurred. CONCLUSION: Duct-to-duct biliary anastomosis with RIBS insertion after resection of the biliary confluence represents a feasible and safe alternative to the HJ.