[Management of patients with iatrogenic bile duct injury]. / Tratamiento de pacientes con lesiones graves de la vía biliar.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to present an analysis of 30 patients with major bile duct injuries in a single hospital centre. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From January 2001 to December 2006, a prospective database was kept of all patients with a bile duct injury (BDI) following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Patients' charts were reviewed to analyse perioperative surgical management. RESULTS: Over 6 years, 30 patients were treated for a major BDI. Patient demographics were not notable for 16 women (53%) and 14 men (47%) with a mean age of 58.9 years. Twenty of them sustained their BDI at another hospital. The mean interval from the time of BDI to referral was 17.4 days. A total of 30 patients underwent definitive biliary reconstruction, including 17 hepaticojejunostomies (56.7%), 8 end-to-end repairs (20%), 2 choledochoduodenostomies (6.7%), 3 liver transplantations (10%), 1 hepatectomy and 1 Whipple (3.3%). There were 2 deaths in the postoperative period (6.7%). Thirteen (43.3%) sustained at least 1 postoperative complication. The most common complications were cholangitis (20%), and intra-abdominal abscess/biloma (23.3%). The mean postoperative length of stay was 17.46 days. CONCLUSIONS: Bile duct injury is a serious complication that affects mostly individuals with benign disease. Various subsequent procedures (surgical and/or endoscopic) are almost always necessary for its correction, with a high socioeconomic cost that imposes great suffering on the patients and their relatives. Clearly, all efforts should be made to prevent such accidents.

Tratamiento de pacientes con lesiones graves de la vía biliar / Management of patients with iatrogenic bile duct injury

Objetivos. Presentar una serie de 30 pacientes intervenidos en nuestro hospital como consecuencia de una lesión de la vía biliar. Material y método. Se han estudiado de forma prospectiva todos los datos preoperatorios y postoperatorios de los pacientes tratados en nuestro hospital entre enero de 2001 y diciembre de 2006. Resultados. Durante un período de 6 años han sido intervenidos 30 pacientes como consecuencia de una lesión iatrogénica de la vía biliar; 14 (53%) pacientes eran varones y 16 (47%), mujeres, con una media de edad de 58,9 años. Las cirugías en que se produjeron las lesiones fueron: hepatectomía en 1 (3,3%) paciente, gastrectomía en 1 (3,3%), colecistectomía laparoscópica en 19 (63,4%) pacientes, de éstos, se reconvirtió a cirugía abierta en 5 y colecistectomía abierta de entrada en 9 (30%); 20 de los pacientes procedían de otros hospitales y fueron remitidos a nuestro hospital como centro de referencia regional. El tiempo medio transcurrido desde que se produce la lesión hasta que los pacientes son intervenidos en nuestro centro es de 17,4 días. La reparación de la vía biliar se realizó mediante hepatoyeyunostomía en 17 (56,7%) pacientes, coledocoplastia y Kehr en 8 (20%), coledocoduodenostomía en 2 (6,7%), trasplante hepático en 3 (10%), hepatectomía en 1 (3,3%) y duodenopancreatectomía cefálica en 1 (3,3%). Fallecieron 2 (6,7%) pacientes en el postoperatorio a consecuencia de una sepsis abdominal; 13 (43,3%) pacientes sufrieron al menos una complicación: biloma en 5 (16,7%), coleperitoneo en 1 (3,3%), hemoperitoneo en 1 (3,3%) y colangitis en 6 (20%). La estancia media postoperatoria fue de 17,46 días. Conclusiones. Las lesiones iatrogénicas de la vía biliar son complicaciones muy serias que suelen producirse en pacientes con una enfermedad benigna. Hay diferentes técnicas quirúrgicas y endoscópicas para su tratamiento con un importantísimo coste para el paciente y la sociedad. Sin duda el mejor tratamiento es evitar que se produzcan este tipo de lesiones (AU)

Objectives. The aim of this study is to present an analysis of 30 patients with major bile duct injuries in a single hospital centre. Material and method. From January 2001 to December 2006, a prospective database was kept of all patients with a bile duct injury (BDI) following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Patients’ charts were reviewed to analyse perioperative surgical management. Results. Over 6 years, 30 patients were treated for a major BDI. Patient demographics were not notable for 16 women (53%) and 14 men (47%) with a mean age of 58.9 years. Twenty of them sustained their BDI at another hospital. The mean interval from the time of BDI to referral was 17.4 days. A total of 30 patients underwent definitive biliary reconstruction, including 17 hepaticojejunostomies (56.7%), 8 end-to-end repairs (20%), 2 choledochoduodenostomies (6.7%), 3 liver transplantations (10%), 1 hepatectomy and 1 Whipple (3.3%). There were 2 deaths in the postoperative period (6.7%). Thirteen (43.3%) sustained at least 1 postoperative complication. The most common complications were cholangitis (20%), and intra-abdominal abscess/biloma (23.3%). The mean postoperative length of stay was 17.46 days. Conclusions. Bile duct injury is a serious complication that affects mostly individuals with benign disease. Various subsequent procedures (surgical and/or endoscopic) are almost always necessary for its correction, with a high socioeconomic cost that imposes great suffering on the patients and their relatives. Clearly, all efforts should be made to prevent such accidents (AU)