Morbidity and mortality of common bile duct exploration

✍ Scribed by Mr W. G. Sheridan; H. O. L. Williams; M. H. Lewis

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 569 KB
• Volume: 74
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0007-1323
• DOI: 10.1002/bjs.1800741208

✦ Synopsis

Cardiff CF4 4XN, UK

This retrospective study reviews the complications which occurred in 257 patients who had supraduodenal exploration of the common bile duct in one hospital during a 15-year period. One hundred and eighteen patients (46 per cent) developed complications: septic and cardiorespiratory complications were most common, occurring in 19.5 per cent and 1647 per cent of patients respectively. Postoperatwe retained stones were detected in 37 patients (14 per cent), causing comptications in 54 per cent. Peroperative postexploratory cholangiography did not significantly reduce the incidence of this problem. None of the 12 patients who had postexploratory choledochoscopy had retained stones. Five patients (1.9 per cent) died, three of whom had duct procedures in addition to supraduodenal exploration and two of whom had retained stones. It is concluded that common bile duct exploration has a high associated morbidity, purticulavly due to sepsis and retained stones.