Percutaneous Transhepatic Bile Duct Ablation with n-Butyl Cyanoacrylate in the Treatment of a Biliary Complication after Split Liver Transplantation

Combined Bile Duct Ablation and Fistulous Tract Embolization Using N-Butyl Cyanoacrylate to Manage a Biliary-Cutaneous Fistula Following Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage (PTBD) for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma

Biliary fistula and bile leak are known complications following hepatobiliary surgery, trauma, and percutaneous biliary interventions. In the case of an isolated biliary system with a prolonged indwelling percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) catheter, a biliary-cutaneous fistula (BCF) may develop after catheter blockage or its accidental slippage. Due to the absence of internal drainage, secreted bile flows through the matured PTBD tract to form a fistula. If left untreated, chronic BCF will result in malabsorption, infection, and delayed wound healing. Here, we report a case of left-sided BCF following prolonged PTBD for Bismuth type II cholangiocarcinoma (metastatic disease), which was initially managed by bile duct ablation using N-butyl cyanoacrylate. The patient further needed fistulous tract embolization to obliterate the BCF.

Embolization of an incomplete isolated right segmental hepatic duct injury (incomplete IRSHDI)-A case report

Iatrogenic bile duct injuries remain a substantial problem in gastrointestinal surgery, especially if discovered later in the postoperative period. Herein, we report a case of an unusual bile leak following laparoscopic cholecystectomy consisting of an isolated right segmental hepatic duct injury of segment 5 together with an additional bile leak of a small duct connecting the gallbladder fossa with the common bile duct. We call this situation an incomplete isolated right segmental hepatic duct injury. Patient presented with infected biloma 2 weeks after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. After percutaneous drainage of the biloma and antibiotic therapy the complex biliary fistula was closed first with coil embolization of the small connection to the common bile duct and then with both antegrade and retrograde histoacryl embolization of the hereby created complete isolated right segmental hepatic duct injury in a single session. Patient was discharged the same day and recovered without complication or recurrence.

Percutaneous or Endoscopic Treatment of Peripheral Bile Duct Leaks: Initial Experience with an Innovative Approach of Microcatheter-Delivered Argon Plasma Coagulation

PURPOSE

Biliary ductal injuries are challenging to treat, and often lead to severe morbidity and mortality. The first-line approach involves endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with sphincterotomy and, in case of refractory leakage, long-lasting percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, endoscopic or percutaneous injection of sclerosing agents and/or coiling can be used. We describe a treatment procedure using microcatheter-mediated percutaneous or endoscopic argon plasma coagulation (APC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three patients (7-year-old male, 14-year-old male, 81-year-old female) with refractory postsurgical and/or post-traumatic bile leaks underwent percutaneous (n = 2) or endoscopic (n = 1) APC through a detachable microcatheter.

RESULTS

The procedure was technically feasible in all patients. Postoperative imaging showed complete occlusion of biliary leakage. The technique was uneventful intraoperatively with no adverse events occurring during recovery or follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Our initial experience demonstrates that refractory bile duct leaks may be successfully treated with microcatheter-mediated APC endoscopically or percutaneously. Further research is needed to confirm the safety, efficacy, and clinical indications for this innovative technique.

The Role of the Interventional Radiologist in Bile Leak Diagnosis and Management

Bile leaks are rare but potentially devastating iatrogenic or posttraumatic complications. This is being diagnosed more frequently since the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and propensity toward nonsurgical management in select trauma patients. Timely recognition and accurate characterization of a bile leak is crucial for favorable patient outcomes and involves a multimodal imaging approach. Management is driven by the type and extent of the biliary injury and requires multidisciplinary cooperation between interventional radiologists, endoscopists, and hepatobiliary/transplant surgeons. Interventional radiologists have a vital role in both the diagnosis and management of bile leaks. Percutaneous interventional procedures aid in the characterization of a bile leak and in its initial management via drainage of fluid collections. Most bile leaks resolve with decompression of the biliary system which is routinely done via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography. Some bile leaks can be definitively treated percutaneously while others necessitate surgical repair. The primary principle of percutaneous management is flow diversion away from the site of a leak with the placement of transhepatic biliary drainage catheters. While this can be accomplished with relative ease in some cases, others call for more advanced techniques. Bile duct embolization or sclerosis may also be required in cases where a leaking bile duct is isolated from the main biliary tree.

Bilio-cutaneous fistula obliteration with NBCA

Biliary fistula and bile leakage are complications that can occur during hepato-biliary surgery (both open and laparoscopic) and percutaneous biliary intervention. In some cases, spontaneous resolution is documented but more often re-intervention (surgical or percutaneous) is necessary. We present the case of a male patient who underwent right hepatectomy with bilio-digestive anastomosis for a cholangiocarcinoma which developed a bilo-cutaneous fistula through the path of a previously inserted percutaneous transhepatic drainage. Sealing of bilo-cutaneous fistula was obtained using N-butil-Cyanoacrylate. This technique has already been reported in some papers as a useful tool for biliary tree obliteration; however, to our knowledge, no cases describing the use of glue to seal a sub-cutaneous route are available in literature.

Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer endobiliary obliteration of hepatic segments in a patient with isolated bile leaks

A 54-year-old woman with a symptomatic giant hepatic hemangioma underwent an extended left hepatic trisegmentectomy complicated by 250-350 mL/d postoperative bilious drainage. After 5 months of therapy, drainage was unabated, and the patient was no longer a surgical candidate. Sinography revealed three distinct isolated bile duct leaks involving segments 6, 7, and 8. Endobiliary segmentectomy was achieved by obliterating the isolated systems with ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (Onyx; ev3, Plymouth, Minnesota) during three fluoroscopic procedures. Bilious leaks were successfully eliminated, and compensatory hypertrophy of noninvolved liver occurred. At 2 years from the last embolization procedure, the patient remained asymptomatic with no bilious leak.

Embolization of percutaneous transhepatic portal venous access tract with N-butyl cyanoacrylate

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the safety and feasibility of N-butyl cyanoacrylate (N-BCA) embolization of percutaneous transhepatic portal venous access tract and to establish an appropriate technique.

METHODS

40 consecutive patients underwent percutaneous transhepatic portal venous intervention for various reasons. Embolization of percutaneous transhepatic portal venous access tract was performed after the procedure in all of the patients using N-BCA and Lipiodol® (Lipiodol Ultra Fluide; Laboratoire Guerbet, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France) mixture. Immediate ultrasonography and fluoroscopy were performed to evaluate perihepatic haematoma formation and unintended embolization of more than one segmental portal vein. Follow-up CT was performed, and haemoglobin and haematocrit levels were checked to evaluate the presence of bleeding.

RESULTS

Immediate haemostasis was achieved in all of the patients, without development of perihepatic haematoma or unintended embolization of more than one segmental portal vein. Complete embolization of percutaneous access tract was confirmed in 39 out of 40 patients by CT. Seven patients showed decreased haemoglobin and haematocrit levels. Other complications included mild pain at the site of embolization and mild fever, which resolved after conservative management. 16 patients died during the follow-up period owing to progression of the underlying disease.

CONCLUSION

Embolization of percutaneous transhepatic portal vein access tract with N-BCA is feasible and technically safe. With the appropriate technique, N-BCA can be safely used as an alternate embolic material since it is easy to use and inexpensive compared with other embolic materials.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

This is the first study to investigate the efficacy of N-BCA for percutaneous transhepatic portal venous access tract embolization.

A novel endoscopic treatment of major bile duct leak

INTRODUCTION

Bile leak is a serious complication of hepatobiliary surgery. The incidence has remained the same over the last decade despite significant improvement in the results of liver surgery.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 21-year-old man was a passenger in a motor vehicle and sustained a blunt abdominal trauma in a high-speed collision leading to major liver laceration. He had right lobe hepatectomy complicated by major bile leak. He was not fit for further surgery and he, therefore, had ERCP and obliteration of the leaking bile duct using a combination of metallic coil and N-butyl cyanoacrylate.

DISCUSSION

Endoscopic therapy has become the modality of choice in the treatment of biliary tract injuries. Different modalities of management of persistent bile leak such as sphincterotomy, plastic biliary stents, and nasobiliary drainage have been described. Obliteration of bile duct leak using N-butyl cyanoacrylate and coil embolization has been described but most of these reports used the percutaneous transhepatic approach.

CONCLUSION

In this paper, we describe the second reported case in English literature of a novel endoscopic technique using a combination of metallic coil embolization and N-butyl cyanoacrylate in a patient with major bile leak who was not a candidate for surgery as well as a third report of the late complication of coil migration to the common bile duct.

Percutaneous transhepatic embolization of biliary leakage with N-butyl cyanoacrylate

Biliary leakage is a known complication after biliary surgery. In this report, we describe an uncommon treatment of a common biliary complication, wherein we used percutaneous transhepatic injection of N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) to treat a biliary leak in an 83-year-old patient.