1. Management of post cholecystectomy vascular injuries.
- Author
-
Gupta V, Gupta V, Joshi P, Kumar S, Kulkarni R, Chopra N, Pavankumar G, and Chandra A
- Subjects
- Adult, Female, Gallstones surgery, Humans, Incidence, India, Intraoperative Complications diagnosis, Intraoperative Complications epidemiology, Middle Aged, Postoperative Complications diagnosis, Postoperative Complications epidemiology, Retrospective Studies, Vascular System Injuries diagnosis, Vascular System Injuries epidemiology, Young Adult, Cholecystectomy adverse effects, Hepatic Artery injuries, Intraoperative Complications surgery, Portal Vein injuries, Postoperative Complications surgery, Vascular System Injuries surgery
- Abstract
Introduction: Vasculobiliary and vascular injuries following cholecystectomy are the most serious complications requiring complex surgical management resulting in greater patient morbidity and mortality., Methodology: The study was performed at a tertiary teaching hospital of North India. Records of patients referred for biliary or vascular injury sustained during cholecystectomy were reviewed retrospectively to identify patients with vascular injury between January 2009 and March 2018. Clinical profile, hospital course and outcome of these patients were analysed., Results: Over nine years, 117 patients were referred for cholecystectomy related complications. Total incidence of vascular injury was 5.1% (6/117). Combined vasculobiliary injury (VBI) occurred in 3.4% (4/117) while isolated vascular injury was present in 1.7% patients (2/117). Most (5/6) patients were operated for uncomplicated gall stone disease. Incidences of portal vein (PV) and right hepatic artery (RHA) injuries were equal (3/6). PV injuries were repaired either during cholecystectomy (1/3) or during re-exploration after damage control packing (2/3). RHA injuries presented as pseudoaneurysm and were managed surgically (2/3) or by coil embolization (1/3). All VBI referrals (4/117) were following open cholecystectomy. In VBI patients, vascular injury was diagnosed intra-operatively in two while it was diagnosed several weeks after cholecystectomy in two others. Biliary injury manifested as bile leak post-operatively in all four of them. Nature of biliary injury could be characterized in only 50% (2/4) patients. Definitive repair of biliary injury was performed in one patient only. There was one mortality in our series., Conclusion: Vascular injury is an uncommon complication of cholecystectomy with catastrophic outcome if not managed timely and properly. Adequate surgeon training, keeping the possibility of aberrant vasculobiliary anatomy in all cases, and proper surgical technique is crucial for prevention of such injuries. However in such an event, proper documentation and referral to tertiary centre will help in decreasing morbidity and further litigation., (Copyright © 2018 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF