Post-cholecystectomy acute injury: What can go wrong?

The Effect of Pneumoperitoneum on the Ankle-brachial Index of the Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: An Observational Study

Background

Improvement in the perioperative care has led to increased use of minimally invasive surgeries. Multiple physiological changes during minimally invasive surgeries are attributed to the creation of pneumoperitoneum.

Materials and Methods

One hundred and nine patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy at a tertiary care hospital in north India meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled.

Results

Out of the total 109 patients, 13 were males and 96 females (M:F = 1:7.3), the mean basal metabolic rate was 28.95 kg/m2. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the upper limb were 134.33 + 17.545 and 80.69 + 11.59 respectively. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure in lower limb (LL) were 142.32 + 21.552 and 79.44 + 11.94, respectively. Significant rise in the SBP was noticed in LL at the time of creation of Pneumoperitoneum and after changing the position for surgery (P < 0.05). The diastolic pressure in the LL rises significantly in the LL after creation of pneumoperitoneum, at induction, after reverse Trendelenburg position and extubation (P < 0.05). The mean arterial pressure increased significantly in the LL after the creation of pneumoperitoneum and persisted till the extubation (P < 0.05). A significant rise of ankle-brachial index (ABI) was observed in the patients after the creation of pneumoperitoneum and it remained significant till 15 min into surgery (P < 0.05). There was no correlation of ABI with weight and age of the patients on Pearson correlation.

Conclusion

There is rise in ABI of the patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy at the time of creation of pneumoperitoneum, after Trendelenburg position and 15 min into surgery.

Postcholecystectomy Duodenal Injuries, Their Management, and Review of the Literature

Backgrounds

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the gold standard for treating gallstones; however, it is not free of complications. Postcholecystectomy duodenal injuries are rare but challenging complications after cholecystectomy. The objective of this study was to analyze the management of postcholecystectomy duodenal injuries and to review the related literature.

Materials and methods

An observational and retrospective study was conducted. We included all patients with postcholecystectomy duodenal injuries treated at a reference center, from January 2019 to December 2023. In addition, a review of the literature was carried out.

Results

Fifteen patients were found, mostly women; with gallbladder wall thickening on ultrasound (mean of 8 mm). The majority were emergency (n = 12, 80%) and LCs (n = 8, 53.33%). Cholecystectomies were reported to be associated with excessive difficulty (n = 10, 66.66%). The most injured duodenal portion was the first portion (n = 9, 60%), and blunt dissection was the most common mechanism of injury (n = 7, 46.66%). Most of these injuries were detected in the operating room (n = 9, 60%), and treated with primary closure (n = 11, 73.33%). Three patients with delayed injuries died (20%). According to the literature reviewed, 93 duodenal injuries were found, mostly detected intraoperatively, in the second portion, and treated with primary closure. A minority of patients were treated with more complex procedures, for a mortality rate of 15.38%.

Conclusion

Postcholecystectomy duodenal injuries are rare. Most of these injuries are detected and repaired intraoperatively. However, a high percentage of patients have high morbidity and mortality.

How to cite this article

Diaz-Martinez J, Pérez-Correa N. Postcholecystectomy Duodenal Injuries, Their Management, and Review of the Literature. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2024;14(1):44-50.

Multimodality Imaging of Cholecystectomy Complications

Cholecystectomy is one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States. Although complications are uncommon, the high incidence of this surgery means that a radiologist will likely encounter these complications in practice. Complications may arise in the immediate postoperative period or can be delayed for weeks, months, or years after surgery. Vague and nonspecific symptoms make clinical diagnosis challenging. As a result, multimodality imaging is important in postoperative evaluation. US and multidetector CT are the usual first-line imaging modalities. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy, SPECT/CT, and MRI with conventional or gadoxetate hepatobiliary contrast material are important and complementary modalities that are used for workup. The authors begin with a brief discussion of surgical technique and expected postoperative findings and then describe complications organized into four groups: (a) biliary complications, (b) stone-related complications, (c) iatrogenic complications, and (d) gallbladder complications. Biliary complications include bile leaks and bilomas, acute biliary obstruction, and biliary stricture. Stone-related complications include retained and recurrent stones and spillage of stones into the peritoneum. Iatrogenic complications include hemorrhage, vasculobiliary injury, arterial pseudoaneurysms, duodenal injury, and migration of clips. Gallbladder complications include recurrent cholecystitis after subtotal reconstituting cholecystectomy and unexpected gallbladder cancer. An invited commentary by Mullens and Ibrahim is available online. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ^©RSNA, 2022.

Enterocutaneous Fistula: Open Repair after Unsuccessful Stenting—A Case Report

Enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) is an abnormal connection between the gastrointestinal tract and the skin; by some estimates, it represents 88.2% of all fistulae. It can either develop spontaneously due to underlying malignancy, inflammatory bowel disease, radiation exposure, or, more commonly, as a complication of gastrointestinal surgery. A 75-year-old woman was treated for a small bowel enterocutaneous fistula that developed after laparoscopic cholecystectomy using a HANAROSTENT self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) to cover the fistula. Seven months later, the patient was discharged. For the following 2 years, the patient refused the reconstructive surgery until stent obstruction occurred. After optimizing the patient’s nutritional status, laparotomy and small bowel resection were performed successfully. The use of SEMS in fistulas of the lower gastrointestinal tract is a heavily debated and fairly under-researched topic, especially in the context of enterocutaneous fistulas. No international guidelines officially recommend using SEMS in the small bowel ECF.