Comparison of bile duct pressures following sphincterotomy and endobiliary stenting in a canine model

Comparative study between biliary covered self-expandable metal stent and conventional endoscopic bile drainage treatment in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-related Stapfer type II retroperitoneal perforations

BACKGROUND

Perforation is one of the most serious complications of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Conventional nonsurgical endoscopic treatments including intravenous antibiotic administration and plastic endoscopic biliary drainage are generally approved for the treatment of ERCP-related Stapfer type II perforation (perivaterian type). Biliary covered metal stent placement has recently been reported to have favorable outcomes in ERCP-related Stapfer type II perforations. We aimed to compare the outcomes of conventional endoscopic bile drainage and biliary covered self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) insertion in patients with Stapfer type II perforation.

METHODS

Medical records of patients who underwent ERCP at Kyungpook National University Hospital in Daegu from 2011 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 8,402 ERCP procedures were performed in our hospital. Sixty-six ERCP-related perforations (0.78%) were identified. Among them, 37 patients (56.1%) who had Stapfer type II perforations were enrolled. Thirteen and twenty-four patients received biliary covered SEMS insertion and conventional endoscopic bile drainage treatments, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the clinical success rate (92.3% vs. 91.7%, p = 1.000), hospital stay (9.46 ± 5.97 vs. 13.9 ± 13.2 days, p = 0.258), and post-ERCP-related fasting time (5.4 ± 3.4 vs 4.3 ± 3.0 days, p = 0.305). Complications including bleeding, post-ERCP pancreatitis, fever, and death were not significantly different between the two groups. The conventional endoscopic bile drainage group took less time for ERCP than the SEMS group (11.5 ± 5.2 vs. 18.5 ± 11.2 min, p = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the conventional endoscopic bile drainage treatment method, biliary covered SEMS did not improve patient outcomes in ERCP-related Stapfer type II perforations.

Endoscopic Therapy of Biliary Injury After Cholecystectomy

BACKGROUND

Iatrogenic bile duct injury (BDI) is a common complication after cholecystectomy. Patients are mainly treated endoscopically, but the optimal treatment method has remained unclear.

AIMS

The aim was to analyze endoscopic treatment in BDI after cholecystectomy and to explore endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES), with or without stenting, as the primary treatment for an Amsterdam type A bile leak.

METHODS

All patients referred to Helsinki University Hospital endoscopy unit due to a suspected BDI between the years 2004 and 2014 were included in this retrospective study. To collect the data, all ERC reports were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of the 99 BDI patients, 94 (95%) had bile leak of whom 11 had concomitant stricture. Ninety-three percent of all patients were treated endoscopically. Seventy-one patients had native papillae and a leak in the cystic duct or peripheral radicals. They were treated with ES (ES group, n = 50) or with sphincterotomy and stenting (EST group, n = 21). There was no difference between the closure time of the fistula (p = 0.179), in the time of discharge from hospital (p = 0.298), or in the primary healing rate between the ES group and the EST group (45/50 vs 19/21 patients, p = 0.951).

CONCLUSION

After the right patient selection, the success rate of endoscopic treatment can approach 100% for Amsterdam type A bile leak. ES is an effective and cost-effective single procedure with success rate similar to EST. It may be considered as a first-line therapy for the management of Amsterdam type A leaks.

A retrospective analysis of endoscopic treatment outcomes in patients with postoperative bile leakage

OBJECTIVE:

Bile leakage, while rare, can be a complication seen after cholecystectomy. It may also occur after hepatic or biliary surgical procedures. Etiology may be underlying pathology or surgical complication. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) can play major role in diagnosis and treatment of bile leakage. Present study was a retrospective analysis of outcomes of ERCP procedure in patients with bile leakage.

METHODS:

Patients who underwent ERCP for bile leakage after surgery between 2008 and 2012 were included in the study. Etiology, clinical and radiological characteristics, and endoscopic treatment outcomes were recorded and analyzed.

RESULTS:

Total of 31 patients (10 male, 21 female) were included in the study. ERCP was performed for bile leakage after cholecystectomy in 20 patients, after hydatid cyst operation in 10 patients, and after hepatic resection in 1 patient. Clinical signs and symptoms of bile leakage included abdominal pain, bile drainage from percutaneous drain, peritonitis, jaundice, and bilioma. Twelve (60%) patients were treated with endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) and nasobiliary drainage (NBD) catheter, 7 patients (35%) were treated with ES and biliary stent (BS), and 1 patient (5%) was treated with ES alone. Treatment efficiency was 100% in bile leakage cases after cholecystectomy. Ten (32%) cases of hydatid cyst surgery had subsequent cystobiliary fistula. Of these patients, 7 were treated with ES and NBD, 2 were treated with ES and BS, and 1 patient (8%) with ES alone. Treatment was successful in 90% of these cases.

CONCLUSION:

ERCP is an effective method to diagnose and treat bile leakage. Endoscopic treatment of postoperative bile leakage should be individualized based on etiological and other factors, such as accompanying fistula.

Role of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the management of hepatic hydatid disease

Most cases of hepatic hydatid disease exhibit uncomplicated clinical course and management. However, the diagnosis and management of complicated hepatic hydatid disease is a special issue. One of the most common and serious complications of hepatic hydatid disease is the rupture of the cyst into intrahepatic bile ducts. The clinical appearance of intrabiliary rupture can range from asymptomatic to jaundice, cholecystitis, cholangitis, liver abscess, pancreatitis and septicemia. Current treatments for major ruptures can result in high morbidity and mortality rates. Furthermore, ruptures that cannot be diagnosed preoperatively can induce complications such as biliary fistulae, biloma, cavitary infection and obstructive jaundice. In the past, these complications were diagnosed and treated by surgical methods. Currently, complications in both the pre- and postoperative periods are diagnosed and treated by non-invasive or minimally invasive methods. In clinical practice, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is indicated for patients with preoperative frank intrabiliary rupture in which hydatid elements are clearly seen in the bile ducts, or for biliary adverse events after surgery, including persistent biliary fistulae and jaundice. However, controversy concerning routine preoperative ERCP and prophylactic endoscopic sphincterotomy in patients suspected of having minor cystobiliary communications still remains. In this article, the role of ERCP in the diagnosis and management of hepatic hydatid disease during the pre- and postoperative periods is reviewed.

Antegrade common bile duct (CBD) stenting after laparoscopic CBD exploration

Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) has been found to be a safe, efficient and cost-effective treatment for choledocholithiasis. Following LCBDE, the clearance may be ascertained by a cholangiogram or choledochoscopy. The common bile duct (CBD) may be closed primarily with or without a stent in situ or may be drained by means of a T-tube or a biliary enteric anastomosis.

Role of symptoms, trend of liver tests, and endotherapy in management of post-cholecystectomy biliary leak

AIM

Biliary leaks are widely reported complications of cholecystectomy, but standard management remains undecided. The objective of our study was to report the role of symptoms, biochemical tests, and ERCP in patients with a leak.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-one patients (8 M, 26-77 years) with suspected post-cholecystectomy biliary leak were retrospectively studied. Symptoms and liver tests (LTs) after surgery were monitored. Trends of LTs were considered positive if increases at >48 h were seen. ERCP was performed in all patients. Findings at endoscopy and treatments were reported. Outcome results were obtained for all patients.

RESULTS

Seventeen of 21 patients had persistent biliary leak at ERCP, because of direct injury (n = 10), accessory duct (n = 4), or cystic duct stump (n = 3). Eleven of 17 patients (six without symptoms), had distal obstruction because of surgical injury (n = 8), stone (n = 2), or cholangiocarcinoma (n = 1) and underwent stenting (n = 4), naso-biliary drainage, NBD (n = 3), or surgery (n = 4). Among the six patients without obstruction (four without symptoms), stenting was performed in two and NBD in four. The four patients without apparent leak underwent NBD. Impairment of LTs was present in ten out of eleven (91%) patients with obstruction versus six of ten (60%) without obstruction. No complications occurred after ERCP. During a median follow-up of 33 months (cholangiocarcinoma excluded) all but one remained asymptomatic.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptoms and trend of LTs were not predictive of biliary obstruction in patients with a leak after cholecystectomy. Both endotherapy and surgery had favorable outcomes.

The role of ERCP in the management of bile leakage: endoscopic sphincterotomy versus biliary stenting

INTRODUCTION

Bile leakage is a common complication of cholecystectomy. The aim of this study was to compare endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) and biliary stenting (BS) in the treatment of bile leaks after cholecystectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty-seven patients with bile leakage following cholecystectomy underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP). Patients were randomized into two groups (EST and BS +/- EST), according to the initial therapeutic endoscopic intervention. The patients were allocated into subgroups once more, according to diameter of the common bile duct (CBD). Outcomes and efficacy of BS and EST on fistula closure and the time to fistula closure were investigated.

RESULTS

The median time between cholecystectomy and ERCP in the EST and BS groups was 6.45 +/- 3.41 and 4.50 +/- 1.99 days, respectively. The mean daily amount of biliary leakage in the EST and BS groups was 376.92 +/- 243.77 and 441.07 +/- 216.08 cc/day, respectively. The diameter of the distal part of CBD in the EST and BS groups was 9.07 +/- 3.84 and 8.28 +/- 4.04 mm, respectively. Mean fistula closure was achieved in 6.45 +/- 3.41 in 11 of 13 patients in the EST group and 4.50 +/- 1.99 days in the BS group in all patients. However, mean time of closure was significantly shorter in the BS 4.71 +/- 2.14 group, compared to EST (9.67 +/- 2.51), among patients with distal CBD diameter (< or =8 mm).

CONCLUSIONS

BS seems to be a more effective method than EST in the management of postcholecystectomy among patients with bile leakage and without CBD dilatation. BS might be the first-line treatment among such patients. However, further prospective, randomized, clinical trials regarding CBD dilatation are warranted.

Long-term outcome of endoscopic therapy in patients with bile duct injury after cholecystectomy

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Bile duct lesions, including leaks and strictures, are immanent complications of open or laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Endoscopic procedures have gained increasing potential as the treatment of choice in the management of postoperative bile duct injuries.

METHODS

Between January 1996 and December 2006, 44 patients with biliary leakages and 12 patients with biliary strictures after cholecystectomy were identified by analyzing the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography database, clinical records, and cholangiograms. The long-term follow up of endoscopic treatment in biliary lesions after cholecystectomy was evaluated by this retrospective study.

RESULTS

In 34 of 35 patients (97%) with peripheral bile duct leakages, endoscopic therapy was successful. Transpapillary endoprothesis and/or nasobiliary drainage were removed after 31 (5-399) days. After stent removal, the median follow-up period was 81 (11-137) months. In patients with central bile duct leakages, the success rate after median 90 (4-145) days of endoscopic therapy was 66.7% (6/9 patients). The median follow up after stent removal in six successfully treated patients was 70 (48-92) months. Eleven of 12 patients (91.6%) with bile duct strictures had successfully completed stent therapy. The follow-up period of this patient group was 99 (53-140) months.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic treatment of bile duct lesions after cholecystectomy is effective, particularly in patients with peripheral bile duct leakages and bile duct strictures. Therefore, it should be the first-line therapy used in these patients. Although endoscopic management is less successful in patients with central bile duct leakages, an attempt is warranted.

Endoscopic management of bile leaks after blunt abdominal trauma

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP) has been found to be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic bile leaks, but data on outcome after therapeutic ERCP is limited. We performed a prospective study on evaluation of ERCP for diagnosis and treatment of bile leaks following blunt abdominal trauma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Ten patients of bile leaks following blunt abdominal trauma were evaluated for modes of injury, clinical presentations, investigations, ERCP findings, modes of therapy and outcome. The time interval between trauma and ERCP, ERCP and healing of bile leak and complications of ERCP were also recorded.

RESULTS

Ten patients (age 21.9 +/- 14.5 years, 6 males) presented 24.6 +/- 17.1 days following trauma. The modes of injury were motor vehicle accident (n = 6), and fall from height (n = 4). The ERCP revealed bile leak from the right hepatic duct (n = 7), both right and left hepatic ducts (n = 1), mid-common bile duct (n = 1), and peripheral branches of right hepatic duct (n = 1). Procedures for ERCP included endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) with stenting in nine patients and ES with nasobiliary drainage in one patient. Bile leak resolved in all the patients in 8.5 +/- 8.2 days. Biliary stents and the nasobiliary drain were removed after 36.4 +/- 16.2 days of their insertion and all the patients remain asymptomatic for follow up of 33 +/- 20.8 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Therapeutic ERCP procedures like endoscopic sphincterotomy with stenting or nasobiliary drainage are effective in management of bile leaks following blunt abdominal trauma.

The role of endoscopy in noniatrogenic injuries of the liver

Traumatic noniatrogenic biliary injuries, unlike iatrogenic injuries, are usually complex in nature and are frequently associated with other multiorgan trauma and infection. Bile leaks following these injuries are an important source of short- and long-term morbidity. Repeat surgery for primary repair of complex bile leaks is difficult and can be complicated by anastomotic leakage and biliary stricture formation. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was initially used only as a diagnostic technique to guide surgical repair in this setting. However, with the high success rates observed in treatment of iatrogenic bile leaks, ERCP has emerged as a nonoperative treatment option for noniatrogenic biliary leaks as well. Recent data show that ERCP is effective in managing bile leaks after blunt and sharp liver injuries, using transpapillary stenting, endoscopic sphincterotomy, or both, with greater than 80% healing rates. The evidence is not clear regarding which ERCP maneuver - endoscopic sphincterotomy, transpapillary stenting, or both - should be used.

Minimally invasive management of bile leaks after blunt liver trauma in children

BACKGROUND

Management of bile leaks after blunt abdominal trauma remains controversial. Conventionally, open surgery has been considered necessary, but new modalities of treatment, including endoscopic biliary stenting and laparoscopy, offer a minimally invasive alternative.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review of all cases of blunt liver trauma in children treated at our institution between May 2002 and October 2004 was performed looking for possible biliary injury.

RESULTS

Five children (3 boys), median age 13 years (range, 10-15 years), were referred to our institution at a median time of 4 days (1-15 days) after the initial trauma. Mechanism of injury was motor vehicle accident (n = 3), fall from a motorbike/Quad bike (n = 2), and a scooter handlebar injury (n = 1). Two, who were hemodynamically unstable, required laparotomy within 24 hours, although their subsequent management was minimally invasive. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, performed at a median time of 15 days (2-28 days), demonstrated an intrahepatic biliary leak in all 5 patients. Biliary stenting was performed in each case, with 2 also having a sphincterotomy. One subsequently developed a bile duct stricture that was managed by endoscopic dilatation. Four required additional percutaneous external drainage of intraabdominal collections. Two underwent laparoscopy to facilitate peritoneal lavage and rule out bowel injuries. No child required open surgery to treat the bile leak. Median hospital stay was 43 days (range, 15-58 days).

CONCLUSIONS

A minimally invasive, multidisciplinary approach to traumatic bile leaks, as an alternative to open surgery, is practical and safe. It requires flexibility, particularly if the diagnosis has been delayed, and may still involve a prolonged hospital stay.

Endoscopic stenting for selected cases of biliary fistula after hepatic hydatid surgery

BACKGROUND

Biliary fistula develops in 4%-28% of patients after hepatic hydatid disease (HHD) surgery. Although endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) are helpful in the treatment of this complication, persistent fistulas may occur. We therefore conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic biliary stenting in the treatment of biliary fistulas after HHD.

METHODS

In this study, 84 patients who underwent ERCP for postoperative biliary fistula due to HHD were evaluated. Group I included 70 patients treated with only ES, and group II included 14 patients who underwent biliary stenting as their initial treatment. Demographic data, complications, the results of treatment and the reasons for the failure were compared between two groups.

RESULTS

Ninety-five ERCPs were performed. In 63 patients, biliary fistulas were successfully treated with only ERCP and ES. However, 7 patients underwent repeat ERCP and stent placement because of persistent fistula. Biliary stenting was initially performed in 14 patients. The average time for closure of the fistula was 14 +/- 10 days and 7 +/- 3 days in group I (7 patients with repeat ERCP were excluded) and group II, respectively (p = 0.007). There was no statistically significant difference in the complication rates between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Although ES is effective in the treatment of biliary fistula after HHD surgery, endoscopic biliary stenting may be considered as the initial procedure in patients with biliary stricture, incomplete clearance of hydatid material in the bile duct, and persisting biliary fistulas after treatment with ERCP and ES.

Nonoperative management of blunt extrahepatic biliary duct transection in the pediatric patient: case report and review of the literature

An 11-year-old boy sustained a grade IV liver injury and complete disruption of the left hepatic duct (LHD) secondary to a sledding accident. Although he became hemodynamically stable after initial resuscitation in the emergency department and the intensive care unit (ICU), serial paracentesis procedures were necessary to manage abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). The fluid initially was serosanguinous but subsequently became bile stained. A bile leak was confirmed by a technetium 99m dimethyliminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan and an endoscopic retrograde cholangiogram (ERCP). The LHD transection was treated with percutaneous drainage of the subhepatic space and a transampullary biliary stent. The leak sealed within 8 days, and follow-up ERCP as an outpatient showed no extravasation but could not visualize the LHD. Repeat computed tomography (CT) scan 3(1/2) months after injury showed the liver laceration to be healed with atrophy of the left lobe and no ductal dilatation. The patient has had a complete recovery, resumed all activities, and currently is 20 months after his injury with no sequelae.

A comparison of common bile duct pressures after botulinum toxin injection into the sphincter of Oddi versus biliary stenting in a canine model

BACKGROUND

Botulinum toxin A (Botox) functionally paralyzes the sphincter of Oddi in both animals and humans, resulting in reduced pressures. No study, however, has specifically addressed common bile duct (CBD) pressures after Botox injection into the sphincter of Oddi with regard to treating biliary leaks and fistulae. The goals of this present study are to compare, versus biliary stenting, the change in CBD pressures after Botox injection into the sphincter of Oddi, as well as to evaluate the timing of onset and duration of these effects on sphincteric relaxation.

METHODS

After midline laparotomy in 20 mongrel dogs, a pediatric umbilical catheter was inserted into the CBD via a small cholecystotomy and attached to a water-perfused pressure transducer. After baseline CBD pressure readings, a lateral duodenotomy was performed. A total of 100 units of Botox was injected with an endoscopic sclerotherapy needle into all four quadrants of the ampulla. The dogs were randomly divided into four groups to undergo repeat laparotomy at either postoperative day 1 (group I), postoperative day 3 (group II), postoperative day 7 (group III), or postoperative day 14 (group IV). At the time of second laparotomy, a pressure-sensing catheter was reinserted into the CBD and pressures recorded. Each dog then underwent transpapillary biliary stenting with a 7 Fr. x 5 cm Cotton-Leung biliary stent and CBD pressures were again recorded.

RESULTS

CBD pressures were significantly lower as compared with baseline for all groups after Botox injection and after biliary stenting (P <0.001) In addition, no significant differences in the degree of CBD pressure reduction were identified between groups I through IV after Botox injection. The measured decrease in CBD pressure from baseline after Botox injection as compared with biliary stenting was significantly different for groups I and II (P <0.05) but not for groups III and IV.

CONCLUSION

Botox injection into the sphincter of Oddi results in significant CBD pressure reduction within 24 hours and continues for 14 days. Also, after postoperative day 3, there is no significant difference in the reduction of CBD pressure from baseline between Botox injection and biliary stenting. Based on these findings, Botox injection into the sphincter of Oddi may be a beneficial alternative to biliary stenting for the treatment of biliary leaks and fistulae.

A Minimally Invasive Approach to Bile Peritonitis after Blunt Liver Injury

The advent of nonoperative management of liver injuries has made it imperative that surgeons be familiar with the potential delayed complications of this approach. In this report, we describe a minimally invasive strategy for the management of bile peritonitis following nonoperative management of blunt liver injuries. Two cases are presented in which bile peritonitis with massive bile ascites was managed with laparoscopic localization and drainage of the bile leak, irrigation of the peritoneal cavity, and postoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiography with bile duct stenting. In both cases the bile leak ceased, and the patients recovered without adverse sequelae. The combination of laparoscopic surgery and endoscopic stenting provides a minimally invasive approach to this entity.

Trends in bile duct injuries from laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Bile duct injuries are a serious complication of cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LC) were originally associated with an increased incidence of injuries. Patients referred to a tertiary center were reviewed to assess the trends in the number, presentation, and management. Seventy-three patients were referred over a 6-year period with a maximum of 17 patients referred in 1992, but the number has not declined substantially over time. The persistent number of referrals is a consequence of ongoing injuries. One third of injuries were diagnosed at LC, and the use of cholangiography has not increased. The number of cystic duct leaks has not decreased and they represent 25% of all cases. The level of injury has remained unchanged with Bismuth types I and II in 37% and types III and IV in 38%. Excluding patients with cystic duct leaks, 58% were referred after a failed ductal repair. Definitive treatment with biliary stenting was successful in 37%, and 34 patients (47%) required a biliary-enteric anastomosis. Complications occurred in 18 patients (25%) including seven with postoperative stricture or cholangitis. No biliary reoperations have been performed at a mean follow-up of 36 months.