Impact of routine intraoperative cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy on bile duct injury

Background: The role of intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) in the diagnosis, prevention and management of bile duct injury (BDI) remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to determine the value of routine IOC in the diagnosis and management of BDI sustained during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) at a high-volume centre. Methods: A retrospective analysis of a single-institution database was performed. Patients who underwent LC with routine IOC between October 1991 and May 2012 were included. Results: Among 11 423 consecutive LCs IOC was performed successfully in 95.7 per cent of patients. No patient had IOC-related complications. Twenty patients (0.17 per cent) sustained a BDI during LC, and the diagnosis was made during surgery in 18 patients. Most BDIs were type D according to the Strasberg classification. The sensitivity of IOC for the detection of BDI was 79 per cent; specificity was 100 per cent. All injuries diagnosed during surgery were repaired during the same surgical procedure. Two patients developed early biliary strictures that were treated by percutaneous dilatation and a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy with satisfactory long-term results. Conclusion: The routine use of IOC during LC in a high-volume teaching centre was associated with a low incidence of BDI, and facilitated detection and repair during the same surgical procedure with a good outcome.