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Intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) can help to avoid bile duct injury for at least three reasons. First, IOC shows the immense diversity of the biliary tree and its patterns of biliary anomalies. Thus, IOC is a great provider of profound knowledge concerning the biliary tree. Second, a surgeon, over time, becomes an expert on how to read an IOC. The surgeon then is able to discover whether the patient is at risk for biliary injury. Third, if an injury has already occurred, then an IOC can provide early detection and, if correctly interpreted, the injury is not worsened. Thus, IOC offers an opportunity to prevent error through profound knowledge of biliary diversity and real-time imaging.

Background: In 1999, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) introduced the SAGES Outcomes Initiative as a method for its members to use for tracking their own outcomes. This report provides a descriptive analysis of the cholecystectomy database., Methods: The SAGES Outcome Initiative database was accessed for all gallbladder cases from September 1999 to February 2005. The data from the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative entries were summarized. These data are purely descriptive, and no statistical analysis was performed., Results: The gallbladder registry contained 3,285 cases, with 2,005 follow-up cases. Most patients were employed women with some comorbidities who had elective surgery under general anesthesia. Most of the operating surgeons were attending surgeons and surgical assistants. Most of the patients had biliary colic, and symptoms were improved for more than 95% of the patients. More than 90% of the cases were managed laparoscopically, with a conversion rate of 3%. Biliary imaging was used in the vast majority of cases, with most shown to be normal. Intraoperative gallbladder perforation was common, with bile duct injury occurring in 0.25% of cases. The most frequently cited postoperative event was wound infection, with most complications classified as class 1. More than 95% of the patients were able to return to work., Conclusions: The SAGES Outcomes Initiative database demonstrates that most participating SAGES members perform laparoscopic cholecystectomies themselves using intraoperative cholangiograms. Adverse outcomes are few, with most patients able to return to normal activity. Importantly, there were relatively few missing data points, implying that when surgeons enter data, the information is relatively complete.

Background: It has been suggested that intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) can cause postoperative pancreatitis., Methods: We studied the relationship between IOC and pancreatitis by reviewing the case histories of 500 patients (1992-97) who underwent cholecystectomy at our institution. In 82% of cases, the cholecystectomies were done laparoscopically, whereas, 7% were converted to an open procedure. An IOC was performed in 435/500, or 87%. During these studies, common bile duct (CBD) stones (or the possibility of a stone) were noted in 14% of the cases. An intraoperative CBD investigation was required in nine of 435 cases or 8.5%, while 28/435 (9.2%) underwent postoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)., Results: Follow-up was available in 90% of our patients (452/500). We found six cases of postoperative pancreatitis; only three of 452 (0.6%) occurred <1 year after cholecystectomy. None of these patients had a preoperative history of pancreatitis. In all six cases, there appeared to be an etiology for the pancreatitis unrelated to IOC., Conclusion: We could find no statistical association between IOC and postoperative pancreatitis. Postoperative pancreatitis is uncommon at our institution, where routine IOC is employed. Therefore, we conclude that IOC does not cause pancreatitis.

The advent of laparoscopic techniques has resulted in an increased incidence of cholecystectomy, creating a need to reevaluate utilization. The new outcomes research movement emphasizes patient-derived data as well as traditional clinical outcomes. One of the purposes of this prospective study was to seek possible correlations between a variety of variables, both patient- and physician-derived, to the patient's degree of overall satisfaction with the outcome. From July 1992 to May 1997, five different data collection forms were prospectively implemented-three physician-derived (preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative) and two patient-derived sets of data. In the postoperative patient instrument, patients were asked to rate their degree of satisfaction with the outcome of their surgery on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being "extremely satisfied" and 1 being "not at all satisfied." We then sought differences between those patients rating their satisfaction as 5 vs. those rating their satisfaction as 1 to 3. Age, sex, and the presence of comorbid conditions did not correlate with eventual satisfaction. The following were correlated with a statistically significant better degree of satisfaction: the preoperative presence of known gallstones or a preoperative physician-derived history of typical biliary pain. No preoperative patient-derived data were associated with satisfaction; however, the postoperative presence of abdominal pain predicted dissatisfaction. Not surprisingly, continued problems with abdominal pain strongly correlated with dissatisfaction, but this finding supports the accuracy of our assessment instrument. Furthermore, the more typical and clear-cut the clinical presentation, the greater the patient satisfaction with the outcome of cholecystectomy. Satisfaction and pain relief are strongly associated. In patients with pain preoperatively, measurement of either pain relief or satisfaction may be adequate to assess correct utilization of this operative procedure.

Routine intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) during cholecystectomy is controversial. In order to address this debate, we asked the following questions: What intraoperative information is provided to the surgeon? What IOC criteria or standards are necessary to observe this information? Between 1990 and 1993, 624 laparoscopic cholangiography (LC) cases were performed at Virginia Mason Hospital, during which 86% (535) of the patients underwent successfully performed IOCs. Each of these cholangiograms was sought, and 420 (78%) were reviewed by a radiologist and a surgeon. Specific items involved the presence or absence of filling defects, bile duct diameter, contrast leaks, flow into the duodenum, benign or malignant stricture, contrast in a portion of the pancreatic duct, and anomalous ducts. "Relevant findings" were defined as filling defects, stricture, leaks, and the following anomalous ducts: a bile duct from the right side of the liver entering near or into the cystic duct. The entire biliary tree was visualized in 86%, and the bifurcation was seen in 95% of the cases. Considering these deficiencies, we found a 10% incidence of filling defects. Anomalies were common in the biliary tree (39%), and knowledge of the presence of some of them are important for safe dissection (at least 4%). Also, at least 68 relevant findings would have been missed in 420 LC cases without IOC. If the IOC had not visualized the biliary tree proximal to the cystic duct, 30 of 68 or 44% of these findings would not have been observed. If an IOC is performed on a routine or selective basis, the study should visualize the entire biliary tree.

The main symptom of gallstone disease is biliary pain. Biliary pain is not necessarily colicky or postprandial, and it most frequently occurs at night during the same clock-time. The relief of biliary pain by cholecystectomy would support the idea that the gallbladder or the stones caused pain. Long-term follow-up studies after cholecystectomy are infrequent, however. Our studies show that biliary pain is relieved in 99% of patients after 4 years of follow-up. The nonspecific symptoms associated with gallstones (i.e., dyspepsia, bloating, belching, etc.) remained in 12% of these patients. We have also shown that the gallbladder itself, without stones, can cause pain and that this biliary pain is relieved in 77% of patients by cholecystectomy. The impact of gallstones on the patient depends on the quality of cholecystectomy as classically measured by morbidity and mortality. However, quality must also be monitored by comparing the long-term relief of biliary pain and the cost. Quality cannot be monitored through inaccurate national databases or multicenter trials. Rather, the continuous quality improvement (CQI) technique of larger centralized health care systems may be the most accurate monitoring system. This technique coordinates the entire health care system by assuming that any process can improve its quality, no matter how good it may already be. Our CQI laparoscopic cholecystectomy database has yielded preliminary perspectives on accurate data collection and improving costs. After a thorough examination, 5% of the database contained cases not done laparoscopically (coding errors), whereas it missed 21% of true laparoscopic cholecystectomy cases (staff errors). Only with the accuratized database were we able to provide insight into cost-savings procedures.

Elective cholecystectomy was performed in 60 patients with biliary colic and acalculous gallbladders during a 5-year period. Gallbladder wall disease was significantly more common (p less than 0.01) in patients with acalculous gallbladders than in a similar symptomatic group with calculous gallbladders. Thirty-four of 43 patients (77%) available for long-term follow-up reported complete symptom relief after cholecystectomy. Preoperative ultrasonography, biliary scintigraphy, oral cholecystography, upper gastrointestinal series, and pathologic features of the gallbladder were equivocal in predicting long-term symptom relief. In patients with acalculous biliary colic, the best predictor of complete symptom relief is an adequate history of true biliary colic.

Cholecystectomy is standard treatment for symptomatic cholelithiasis. Long term relief from symptoms, however, has not been reported. We reviewed 671 elective cholecystectomies performed between 1982 and 1987 for biliary colic (group 1, 91 per cent), dyspepsia associated with gallstones (group 2, 5 per cent) and atypical pain syndromes (group 3, 4 per cent), to define precisely important variables for comparison with alternate methods of gallstone treatment. Cholecystectomy resulted in a mortality rate of zero per cent and an over-all morbidity rate of 4.5 per cent. The procedure-related morbidity rate was 2.2 per cent. Long term follow-up period for 81 per cent of these patients (mean of 45 months) showed that 88 per cent were free of symptoms. Patients in groups 1 and 3 were more likely to obtain relief from symptoms than those in group 2 (p = 0.10). We concluded that cholecystectomy is a definitive treatment for symptomatic cholelithiasis with minimal risk to the patient and a high degree of relief from symptoms. Alternative treatments for gallstones must compare favorably with these results of modern cholecystectomy prior to acceptance and widespread use.

Cholecystectomy is the second most common operation performed today, but its founder, Carl Langenbuch, has received little recognition. The evolution of biliary surgery to the first cholecystectomy is traced. Contributions of von der Wiel, Petit, and Thudicum are reviewed. The cases of the first cholecystotomy by John Stough Bobbs, the first cholecystostomy by Marion Sims, and the first cholecystectomy of Carl Langenbuch are described.

Controversy over whether intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) should be done routinely has intensified since the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). As yet, no study has demonstrated a clear benefit to its use, although their have been suggestions in the literature that routine use may confer an advantage to detection of injuries. One-hundred seventy-seven biliary tract complications occurring secondary to LC were identified from the combined data of seven institutions. The goal of this retrospective study was to examine the impact of IOC on the occurrence, recognition, and correction of such complications. The complications identified include 39 cystic duct leaks, 69 major ductal leaks or strictures, and 69 major ductal transection or excision injuries. Whether IOC was performed was known in 157 (88%) patients with 53 patients definitely having and 104 not having an IOC. Data concerning IOC were unavailable in 20 cases. More injuries were detected intraoperatively in the group having IOC (P < 0.001). Conversion of the LC to a laparotomy, often for repair of the injury, occurred more commonly in the group having a correctly interpreted IOC (P < 0.001). Conversion resulted in detection of injuries sooner, resulting in fewer operative procedures to correct the injury (P < 0.001). A transecting injury was prevented in at least seven patients when no visualization of the proximal biliary tree was documented by IOC. These partial ductal incisions were treated by t-tube placement. Incorrect interpretation of the IOC occurred in at least eight patients, with no identification of the proximal biliary tree in six.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are a variety of procedures to use once a common bile duct stone is discovered at the time of cholecystectomy. To be cost-effective, the surgeon must know how much money will be spent with each procedure chosen. Cost data is largely unavailable because costs are difficult to estimate and charge data are jealously guarded. In addition, costs are not the same at different hospitals and therefore cannot be compared. The factors that increase costs for treating bile duct stones are outlined in this report and real costs are used from one hospital to help with illustration. Surgical costs vary with the severity of the disease, the amount of operating room time required, and length of stay. These surgical costs can be avoided by choosing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, but the new costs increase almost twice that of a successful laparoscopic common bile duct exploration. Knowledge of the pattern of choledocholithiasis, the varieties of treatment, the cost implications, and the outcomes of each are the subject of this report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]