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Background: Hemorrhage associated with varices at the site of choledochojejunostomy is an unusual, difficult to treat, and often fatal manifestation of portal hypertension. So far, no treatment guidelines have been established., Case Summary: We reported three patients with jejunal varices at the site of choledochojejunostomy managed by endoscopic sclerotherapy with lauromacrogol/α-butyl cyanoacrylate injection at our institution between June 2021 and August 2023. We reviewed all patient records, clinical presentation, endoscopic findings and treatment, outcomes and follow-up. Three patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy with a Whipple anastomosis were examined using conventional upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for suspected hemorrhage from the afferent jejunal loop. Varices with stigmata of recent hemorrhage or active hemorrhage were observed around the choledochojejunostomy site in all three patients. Endoscopic injection of lauromacrogol/α-butyl cyanoacrylate was carried out at jejunal varices for all three patients. The bleeding ceased and patency was observed for 26 and 2 months in two patients. In one patient with multiorgan failure and internal environment disturbance, rebleeding occurred 1 month after endoscopic sclerotherapy, and despite a second endoscopic sclerotherapy, repeated episodes of bleeding and multiorgan failure resulted in eventual death., Conclusion: We conclude that endoscopic sclerotherapy with lauromacrogol/α-butyl cyanoacrylate injection can be an easy, effective, safe and low-cost treatment option for jejunal varicose bleeding at the site of choledochojejunostomy., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background & Aims: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided choledochoduodenostomy with a lumen-apposing metal stent (EUS-CDS) is a promising modality for management of malignant distal biliary obstruction (MDBO) with potential for better stent patency. We compared its outcomes with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with metal stenting (ERCP-M)., Methods: In this multicenter randomized controlled trial, we recruited patients with MDBO secondary to borderline resectable, locally advanced, or unresectable peri-ampullary cancers across 10 Canadian institutions and 1 French institution. This was a superiority trial with a noninferiority assessment of technical success. Patients were randomized to EUS-CDS or ERCP-M. The primary end point was the rate of stent dysfunction at 1 year, considering competing risks of death, clinical failure, and surgical resection. Analyses were performed according to intention-to-treat principles., Results: From February 2019 to February 2022, 144 patients were recruited; 73 were randomized to EUS-CDS and 71 were randomized to ERCP-M. The mean (SD) procedure time was 14.0 (11.4) minutes for EUS-CDS and 23.1 (15.6) minutes for ERCP-M (P < .01); 40% of the former was performed without fluoroscopy. Technical success was achieved in 90.4% (95% CI, 81.5% to 95.3%) of EUS-CDS and 83.1% (95% CI, 72.7% to 90.1%) of ERCP-M with a risk difference of 7.3% (95% CI, -4.0% to 18.8%) indicating noninferiority. Stent dysfunction occurred in 9.6% vs 9.9% of EUS-CDS and ERCP-M cases, respectively (P = .96). No differences in adverse events, pancreaticoduodenectomy and oncologic outcomes, or quality of life were noted., Conclusions: Although not superior in stent function, EUS-CDS is an efficient and safe alternative to ERCP-M in patients with MDBO. These findings provide evidence for greater adoption of EUS-CDS in clinical practice as a complementary and exchangeable first-line modality to ERCP in patients with MDBO., Clinicaltrials: gov, Number: NCT03870386., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The best intervention approach for residual choledocholithiasis after choledocholithotomy T-tube drainage remains controversial, especially during the period of indwelling T tube and the formation of a sinus. The purpose of the study was to estimate the effects of two therapeutic modalities, namely endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and choledochfiberscope via the T-tube sinus tract (CDS) on residual choledocholithiasis after choledocholithotomy T-tube drainage., Methods: A total of 112 patients with residual choledocholithiasis after choledochotomy were included in the study, 50 of which underwent ERCP and 62 patients experienced choledochoscopy via the T-tube sinus tract. The primary outcome measures included the success rate of remove biliary stones, T-tube drainage time, and the average length of hospital stay. The secondary objective was to consider incidence of adverse events including cholangitis, bile leakage, T-tube migration, pancreatitis, bleeding and perforation. After hospital discharge, patients were followed up for two years and the recurrence of choledocholithiasis was recorded., Results: There was no significant difference in the success rate of stone removal between the two groups. Compared to CDS group, T-tube drainage time and the average length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the ERCP group. The incidence of complications (cholangitis and bile leakage) in the ERCP group was lower than that in the CDS group, but there was no statistically significant difference. When the T-tube sinus tract is not maturation, ERCP was the more appropriate endoscopic intervention to remove residual choledocholithiasis, particularly complicated with cholangitis at this time period., Conclusions: ERCP is a safe and effective endoscopic intervention to remove residual choledocholithiasis after choledocholithotomy T-tube Drainage without the condition of T-tube sinus tract restriction., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: T-tube drainage, primary closure, and biliary stenting are the common bile duct closure methods. There is great debate on the optimal duct closure technique after common bile duct exploration. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of the three commonest common bile duct closure methods after common bile duct exploration for common bile duct stone for future generalization., Methods: In this analysis, 211 patients with common bile duct stone underwent common bile duct exploration from January 2016 to December 2020. The patients were divided according to common bile duct closure techniques into three groups, including the T-tube drainage group (63 patients), primary duct closure group (61 patients), and antegrade biliary stenting group (87 patients)., Results: The incidence of overall biliary complications and bile leak were statistically significantly lower in the biliary stenting group than in the other two groups. Also, hospital stays, drain carried time, return to normal activity, re-intervention, and re-admission rates were statistically significantly lower in the biliary stenting group than in the other two groups. There were no statistically significant differences regarding operative and choledochotomy time, retained and recurrent stone, stricture, biliary peritonitis, cholangitis, and the cost among the three groups., Conclusions: We state that the biliary stenting procedure should be the preferred first option for common bile duct closure after common bile duct exploration when compared with T-tube drainage and primary duct closure., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov PRS (Approval No. NCT04264299)., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Since it was first described in 2001, endoscopic ultrasonography-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has emerged as an alternative procedure for achieving an endoscopic internal drainage in case of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) failure. Biliary drainage can be achieved by either a transduodenal extrahepatic approach through EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy (EUS-CDS), or a transgastric intrahepatic approach, namely EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS) which already holds a remarkable place in the treatment of patients with malignant biliary obstruction., Data Sources: For this review we did a comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE from inception to May 31, 2021 for papers with a significant sample size (at least 20 patients enrolled) dealing with EUS-HGS. Data on technical success, clinical success and rate of adverse events were collected., Results: A total of 22 studies with different design, comprising 874 patients, were included. Technical success was achieved in about 96% of cases (ranging from 65% to 100%). Clinical success was obtained in almost 91% of cases (ranging from 76% to 100%). Overall rate of adverse events was 19% (ranging from 0% to 35%). Abdominal pain, self-limiting pneumoperitoneum, bile leak, cholangitis, bleeding, perforation and intraperitoneal migration of the stent were the most common., Conclusions: Despite both safety and efficacy profile, at the moment HGS still remains a challenging procedure at every single step and must therefore be conducted by a very experienced endoscopist in interventional EUS and ERCP procedures, who is able to deal with the possible severe adverse events of this procedure. A rapid introduction in clinical practice of dedicated devices is desiderable., (Copyright © 2022 First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Impact of previous history of choledochojejunostomy (PCJ) on the incidence of organ/space surgical site infection (SSI) after hepatectomy remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and causes of SSI after hepatectomy., Methods: Patients who underwent hepatectomy of ≤1 Couinaud's sector between January 2011 and September 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Incidence of and risk factors for organ/space SSI (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥2) after hepatectomy were investigated., Results: Among 750 hepatectomies, 18 patients (2.4%) had a medical history of PCJ. Incidence of organ/space SSI was higher in patients with PCJ (50%) than in those without PCJ (3%, P < 0.001), and the trend was consistent even after estimated propensity score matched cohort. Multivariate analysis showed PCJ was a strong risk factor for organ/space SSI (grade ≥2), with the highest odds ratios (OR) among all other clinicopathological risk factors (OR, 32.25; P < 0.001). Among hepatectomies with PCJ, pneumobilia (OR, 12.25; P = 0.015), operation time ≥171 min (OR, 12.25; P = 0.016), and liver steatosis (OR, 24.00; P ≤ 0.005) were associated with organ/space SSI after hepatectomy., Conclusion: Previous history of choledochojejunostomy was a strong risk factor for organ/space SSI after hepatectomy. The high rate of organ/space SSI after hepatectomy with PCJ might be attributed to intrahepatic bile duct contamination, increased operation time, and histological liver steatosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.)

Background: Choledochoduodenostomy (CD) is believed to cause certain long-term complications, such as sump syndrome and reflux gastritis. Therefore, CD is considered inferior to a Roux-and-Y hepaticojejunostomy (HJ). The aim of this study was to compare short- and long-term outcomes following CD and HJ for benign biliary diseases., Methods: This was a retrospective, matched case-control study of patients undergoing biliary-digestive anastomosis for benign diseases between 2000 and 2016 in a tertiary centre. Patients undergoing CD and HJ were matched 1:1 based on age, sex, ASA-classification, indication, history of abdominal surgery or acute cholecystitis/pancreatitis. Short- and long-term outcomes were compared., Results: Of 336 patients undergoing biliary-digestive anastomoses, 27 patients underwent CD. Matching resulted in two comparable groups of 26 patients each. Overall morbidity after HJ and CD was comparable: 30.8% versus 26.9% (p>0.999). Long-term complications occurred in 23.1% after HJ, and in 50% after CD (p=0.118). After CD, 2 patients (7.7%) developed sump syndrome. Both patients with an anastomotic stricture after HJ could be managed by endoscopic/radiological re-intervention, whilst all six patients with a stricture after CD required surgical re-intervention (p=0.016)., Conclusion: Although short-term complications were comparable, the number of anastomotic strictures was higher in patients undergoing CD. We therefore conclude that HJ is the biliary bypass of choice while CD should be performed in selected patients only., (Copyright © 2020 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In patients with malignant distal bile duct obstruction and normal gastrointestinal anatomy, endoscopic ultrasound-guided choledochoduodenostomy (EUS-CDS) is indicated when endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) fails. The ERCP drainage route passes through the tumor, whereas the EUS-CDS route does not. Therefore, EUS-CDS is expected to have a longer stent patency than ERCP. However, for first-line biliary drainage, it remains unclear whether EUS-CDS or ERCP is superior in terms of stent patency. To reduce the frequency of highly adverse events (AEs) such as bile peritonitis or stent migration following EUS-CDS, we developed an antimigration metal stent with a thin delivery system for tract dilatation. This study is designed to assess whether EUS-CDS with this novel stent is superior to ERCP with a traditional metal stent in terms of stent patency when the two techniques are used for first-line drainage of malignant distal biliary obstruction., Methods/design: This study is a multicenter single-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 95 patients in four tertiary centers. Patients with malignant distal biliary obstruction that is unresectable or presents a very high surgical risk and who pass the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be randomized to EUS-CDS or ERCP in a 1:1 proportion. The primary endpoint is the stent patency rate 180 days after stent insertion. Secondary outcomes include the rates of technical success, clinical success, technical success in cases not requiring fistulous-tract dilation (only EUS-CDS group), procedure-related AEs, re-intervention success, patients receiving post-drainage chemotherapy, procedure time, and overall survival time., Discussion: If EUS-CDS is superior to ERCP in terms of stent patency and safety for the first-line drainage of malignant distal biliary obstruction, it is expected that the first-line drainage method will be changed from ERCP to EUS-CDS, and that interruption of chemotherapy due to stent dysfunction can be avoided., Trial Registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR), ID: UMIN000041343. Registered on August 6, 2020. https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr&#95;e/ctr&#95;view.cgi?recptno=R000047201Version number: 1.2, December 7, 2020., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: After ERCP failure or if ERCP is declined for preoperative biliary drainage before pancreaticoduodenectomy, endoscopic ultrasound-guided choledochoduodenostomy (EUS-CDS) with electrocautery-enhanced lumen-apposing stents (ECE-LAMS) might be needed. The aim of the present study was to assess the technical feasibility and short-term outcomes of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) following endoscopic ultrasound-guided choledochoduodenostomy (EUS-CDS) with electrocautery-enhanced lumen-apposing stents (ECE-LAMS)., Methods: A retrospective study of all EUS-CDS procedures with ECE-LAMS followed by PD performed in France since the availability of the device in 2016., Results: 21 patients underwent PD in 9 departments of surgery following EUS-CDS with ECE-LAMS. The median bilirubin level at endoscopic procedure was 292 μmol/L. A 6 mm diameter stent was used in 20 cases. No complications occurred during the procedure. During the waiting time, 1 patient had an acute pancreatitis post ERCP and 3 patients developed cholangitis, treated by either an additional percutaneous biliary drainage, or an endoscopic procedure to extract a bezoar occluding the stent, or antibiotics, respectively. PD with a curative intent was performed in all cases. Overall, postoperative mortality was nil and postoperative morbidity occurred in 17 patients (81%), including 3 with severe complications (14%). No patient developed postoperative biliary fistula. In the 21 patients followed at least 6 months, no biliary complications occurred, and no tumor recurrence developed on the hepaticojejunostomy/hepatic pedicle., Conclusion: Pancreaticoduodenectomy following EUS-CDS with ECE-LAMS is technically feasible with acceptable short-term postoperative outcome, including healing of biliary anastomosis., (Copyright © 2020 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Residual and recurrent stones remain one of the most important challenges of hepatolithiasis and are reported in 20 to 50% of patients treated for this condition. To date, the two most common surgical procedures performed for hepatolithiasis are choledochojejunostomy and T-tube drainage for biliary drainage. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic safety and perioperative and long-term outcomes of choledochojejunostomy versus T-tube drainage for hepatolithiasis patients with sphincter of Oddi laxity (SOL)., Methods/design: In total, 210 patients who met the following eligibility criteria were included and were randomized to the choledochojejunostomy arm or T-tube drainage arm in a 1:1 ratio: (1) diagnosed with hepatolithiasis with SOL during surgery; (2) underwent foci removal, stone extraction and stricture correction during the operation; (3) provided written informed consent; (4) was willing to complete a 3-year follow-up; and (5) aged between 18 and 70 years. The primary efficacy endpoint of the trial will be the incidence of biliary complications (stone recurrence, biliary stricture, cholangitis) during the 3 years after surgery. The secondary outcomes will be the surgical, perioperative and long-term follow-up outcomes., Discussion: This is a prospective, single-centre and randomized controlled two-group parallel trial designed to demonstrate which drainage method (Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy or T-tube drainage) can better reduce biliary complications (stone recurrence, biliary stricture, cholangitis) in hepatolithiasis patients with SOL., Trial Registration: Clinical Trials.gov: NCT04218669 . Registered on 6 January 2020.

Background: Choledocholithiasis is an endemic condition in the world. Although rare, foreign body migration with biliary complications needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with typical symptoms even many years after cholecystectomy, EPCP, war-wound, foreign body ingestion or any other particular history before. It is of great clinical value as the present review may offer some help when dealing with choledocholithiasis caused by foreign bodies., Case Presentation: We reported a case of choledocholithiasis caused by fishbone from choledochoduodenal anastomosis regurgitation. Moreover, we showed up all the instances of choledocholithiasis caused by foreign bodies published until June 2018 and wrote the world's first literature review of foreign bodies in the bile duct of 144 cases. The findings from this case suggest that the migration of fishbone can cause various consequences, one of these, as we reported here, is as a core of gallstone and a cause of choledocholithiasis., Conclusion: The literature review declared the choledocholithiasis caused by foreign bodies prefer the wrinkly and mainly comes from three parts: postoperative complications, foreign body ingestion, and post-war complications such as bullet injury and shrapnel wound. The Jonckheere-Terpstra test indicated the ERCP was currently the treatment of choice. It is a very singular case of choledocholithiasis caused by fishbone, and the present review is the first one concerning choledocholithiasis caused by foreign bodies all over the world.

Surgeries for benign diseases of the extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) are classified as lithotomy ( i.e ., choledocholithotomy) or diversion ( i.e ., choledochojejunostomy). Because of technical challenges, laparoscopic approaches for these surgeries have not gained worldwide popularity. The right upper quadrant of the abdomen is advantageous for laparoscopic procedures, and laparoscopic choledochojejunostomy is safe and feasible. Herein, we summarize tips and pitfalls in the actual procedures of choledocholithotomy. Laparoscopic choledocholithotomy with primary closure of the transductal incision and transcystic C-tube drainage has excellent clinical outcomes; however, emergent biliary drainage without endoscopic sphincterotomy and preoperative removal of anesthetic risk factors are required. Elastic suture should never be ligated directly on the cystic duct. Interrupted suture placement is the first choice for hemostasis near the EHBD. To prevent progressive laceration of the EHBD, full-layer interrupted sutures are placed at the upper and lower edges of the transductal incision. Cholangioscopy has only two-way operation; using dedicated forceps to atraumatically grasp the cholangioscope is important for smart maneuvering. The duration of intraoperative stone clearance accounts for most of the operative time. Moreover, dedicated forceps are an important instrument for atraumatic grasping of the cholangioscope. Damage to the cholangioscope requires expensive repair. Laparoscopic approach for choledocholithotomy involves technical difficulties. I hope this document with the visual explanation and literature review will be informative for skillful surgeons., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The author has no potential conflict of interest.

A 78-year-old woman presented with melaenic stool and severe anaemia 4 years after a pancreaticoduodenectomy for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Initial workup revealed haemorrhage from the choledochojejunostomy site. Despite multiple endoscopic clips to the region, bleeding reoccurred multiple times over a period of several months. Due to ongoing haemorrhage, her case was urgently presented at the hospital's multidisciplinary hepatobiliary conference. The contrast-enhanced abdominal CT revealed severe stenosis of the extrahepatic portal vein and large afferent jejunal varices at the choledochojejunostomy, suspected as the cause of her persistent bleed. The recommendation was a percutaneous transhepatic approach for stenting of the portal vein stenosis that resulted in rapid decompression of the jejunal varices and control of her haemorrhage., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Sump syndrome (SS) is associated with choledocho-duodenostomy (CDD) dysfunction, which occurs due to accumulation of detritus, biliary mud and food remains in the suprapapillary distal common bile duct. The prevalence is low after CDD. Currently, biliary drainage endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided with a lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) is a new minimally invasive alternative for biliary stenosis for patients in whom endoscopy retrograde cholangial-pancreatography (ERCP) is not feasible. CDD via EUS-guided LAMS is increasing. Thus, SS has become a potential associated complication that was previously unreported in the literature.

Purpose: Choledochojejunostomy can be performed with either interrupted sutures (IS) or continuous sutures (CS). No reports have compared the short- or long-term patient outcomes resulting from these two methods., Methods: A total of 228 consecutive patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy or total pancreatectomy were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients were alternately (by turns) assigned to the IS and CS groups. Among those patients, 161 patients who received regular postoperative follow-up for more than 2 years were eligible for analysis (IS group, n = 81; CS group, n = 80). A comparative analysis was performed between these groups regarding short-term (e.g., anastomotic leakage) and long-term complications (e.g., anastomotic stricture), time required to complete the anastomosis, and cost., Results: The incidence of anastomotic leakage and anastomotic stricture was comparable between the IS and CS groups (1.2% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.993; 8.6% vs. 6.2%, p = 0.563). The groups did not differ regarding the incidence of any short- or long-term complications. The time required to complete the anastomosis in the IS group was 27.0 ± 6.6 min, compared with 16.2 ± 5.0 min in the CS group (p < 0.001). The cost was $144.7 ± 34.6 in the IS group vs. $11.7 in the CS group (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: The IS and CS groups did not differ regarding short- and long-term outcomes. The anastomosis was completed in significantly less time in the CS group. The CS method was also superior in terms of cost.

Introduction Cholelithiasis usually can be managed successfully by endoscopic sphincterotomy. Choledochoduodenostomy (CDD) is one of the surgical treatment options but its acceptance remains debated because of the risk of reflux cholangitis and sump syndrome. The aim of this study was to assess the current features and outcomes of patient undergoing CDD. Patients and methods We retrospectively analysed the surgical results of consecutive 130 patients treated by CDD between 1991 and 2013 and excluded five cases with a malignant disorder. Indications for surgery included endoscopic management where stones were difficult or failed to pass and primary common bile duct stones with choledochal dilatation. Incidences of reflux cholangitis, stone recurrence, pancreatitis or sump syndrome were investigated and the data between end-to-side and side-to-side CDD were compared. Results Reflux cholangitis and stone recurrence was 1.6% (2/125) and 0% (0/125) of cases by CDD. There is no therapeutic-related pancreatitis in CDD. Sump syndrome was not also observed in side-to-side CDD. Conclusions This study is a first comparative study between end-to-side and side-to-side CDD. The surgical outcomes for CDD treatment of choledocholithiasis were acceptable. The incidence of reflux cholangitis, stone recurrence, pancreatitis and sump syndrome was very low.

Background: Stricture formation at the bilioenteric anastomosis is a rare but important postoperative complication. However, information on this complication is lacking in the literature. In the present study, we aimed to assess its prevalence and predictive factors, and report our experience in managing bilioenteric anastomotic strictures over a ten-year period., Methods: A total of 420 patients who had undergone bilioenteric anastomosis due to benign or malignant tumors between February 2001 and December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate modalities were used to identify predictive factors for anastomotic stricture occurrence. Furthermore, the treatment of anastomotic stricture was analyzed., Results: Twenty-one patients (5.0%) were diagnosed with bilioenteric anastomotic stricture. There were 12 males and 9 females with a mean age of 61.6 years. The median time after operation to anastomotic stricture was 13.6 months (range, 1 month to 5 years). Multivariate analysis identified that surgeon volume (≤30 cases) (odds ratio: -1.860; P=0.044) was associated with the anastomotic stricture while bile duct size (>6 mm) (odds ratio: 2.871; P=0.0002) had a negative association. Balloon dilation was performed in 18 patients, biliary stenting in 6 patients, and reoperation in 4 patients. Five patients died of tumor recurrence, and one of heart disease., Conclusions: Bilioenteric anastomotic stricture is an uncommon complication that can be treated primarily by interventional procedures. Bilioenteric anastomosis may be performed by a surgeon in his earlier training period under the guidance of an experienced surgeon. Bile duct size >6 mm may play a protective role., (Copyright © 2017 The Editorial Board of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases International. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To investigate the optimal magnetic pressure and provide a theoretical basis for choledochojejunostomy magnetic compressive anastomosis (magnamosis)., Methods: Four groups of neodymium-iron-boron magnets with different magnetic pressures of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 MPa were used to complete the choledochojejunostomy magnamosis. Twenty-six young mongrel dogs were randomly divided into five groups: four groups with different magnetic pressures and 1 group with a hand-suture anastomosis. Serum bilirubin levels were measured in all groups before and 1 wk, 2 wk, 3 wk, 1 mo and 3 mo after surgery. Daily abdominal X-ray fluoroscopy was carried out postoperatively to detect the path and the excretion of the magnet. The animals were euthanized at 1 or 3 mo after the operation, the burst pressure was detected in each anastomosis, and the gross appearance and histology were compared according to the observation., Results: The surgical procedures were all successfully performed in animals. However, animals of group D (magnetic pressure of 0.4 MPa) all experienced complications with bile leakage (4/4), whereas half of animals in group A (magnetic pressure of 0.1 MPa) experienced complications (3/6), 1 animal in the manual group E developed anastomotic stenosis, and animals in group B and group C (magnetic pressure of 0.2 MPa and 0.3 MPa, respectively) all healed well without complications. These results also suggested that the time required to form the stoma was inversely proportional to the magnetic pressure; however, the burst pressure of group A was smaller than those of the other groups at 1 mo (187.5 ± 17.7 vs 290 ± 10/296.7 ± 5.7/287.5 ± 3.5, P < 0.05); the remaining groups did not differ significantly. A histologic examination demonstrated obvious differences between the magnamosis groups and the hand-sewn group., Conclusion: We proved that the optimal range for choledochojejunostomy magnamosis is 0.2 MPa to 0.3 MPa, which will help to improve the clinical application of this technique in the future.

Aim: To assess the feasibility and safety of the use of soehendra stent retriever as a new technique for biliary access in endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage., Methods: The medical records and endoscopic reports of the patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) owing to failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in our institute between June 2011 and January 2014 were collected and reviewed. All the procedures were performed in the endoscopic suite under intravenous sedation with propofol and full anaesthetic monitoring. Then we used the Soehendra stent retriever as new equipment for neo-tract creation and dilation when performing EUS-BD procedures. The patients were observed in the recovery room for 1-2 h and transferred to the regular ward, patients' clinical data were reviewed and analysed, clinical outcomes were defined by using several different criteria. Data were analysed by using SPSS 13 and presented as percentages, means, and medians., Results: A total of 12 patients were enrolled. The most common indications for EUS-BD in this series were failed common bile duct cannulation, duodenal obstruction, failed selective intrahepatic duct cannulation, and surgical altered anatomy for 50%, 25%, 16.7%, and 8.3%, respectively. Seven patients underwent EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy (58.3%), and 5 underwent EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy (41.7%). The technical success rate was 100%, while the clinical success rate was 91.7%. Major and minor complications occurred in 16.6% and 33.3% of patients, respectively, but there were no procedure-related death., Conclusion: Soehendra stent retriever could be used as an alternative instrument for biliary access in endoscopic ultrasound guided biliary drainage.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is clinically useful not only as a diagnostic tool during EUS-guided fine needle aspiration, but also during interventional EUS. EUS-guided biliary drainage has been developed and performed by experienced endoscopists. EUS-guided choledocoduodenostomy (EUS-CDS) is relatively well established as an alternative biliary drainage method for biliary decompression in patients with biliary obstruction. The reported technical success rate of EUS-CDS ranges from 50% to 100%, and the clinical success rate ranges from 92% to 100%. Further, the over-all technical success rate was 93%, and clinical success rate was 98%. Based on the currently available literature, the overall adverse event rate for EUS-CDS is 16%. The data on the cumulative technical and clinical success rate for EUS-CDS is promising. However, EUS-CDS can still lead to several problems, so techniques or devices that are more feasible and safe need to be established. EUS-CDS has the potential to become a first-line biliary drainage procedure, although standardizing the technique in multicenter clinical trials and comparisons with endoscopic biliary drainage by randomized clinical trials are still needed.

T-tube placement into the common bile duct (CBD) is most commonly performed after CBD exploration for cholelithiasis or repair of an iatrogenic CBD injury. Bile peritonitis occurring after T-tube removal is generally considered an exceedingly rare complication, which on occurrence necessitates urgent intervention. No clear guidance exists on the timing of T-tube removal and its relationship to the development of bile peritonitis. This study aimed to determine the incidence of bile peritonitis after T-tube removal, its relationship to the timing of removal and how knowledge of this can help the general surgeon.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided choledochoduodenostomy (CDS) is an alternative to percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) drainage in patients with an obstructed biliary system where conventional endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage (ERBD) has been unsuccessful., Methods: Five EUS-CDS procedures were reviewed to assess whether successful decompression was achieved and maintained., Results: There was technical success in each instance with no immediate complications. There was a significant fall in the median bilirubin of 164 mmol/l. The median follow-up was 44 days. In one patient the stent migrated with no adverse outcome., Conclusion: EUS-CDS is a viable alternative to PTC with fewer complications and comparable success rates. EUS-CDS may offer a future route for novel therapeutic advances., (© 2012 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.)

Background: The traditional hand-sewn Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy is technically complicated, and the incidence of postoperative complications has remained high. A set of novel magnetic compressive anastomats was introduced to facilitate choledochojejunostomy and improve the prognosis of patients., Methods: After ligating the common bile duct for 7 days, 16 dogs were randomly divided into two groups (n=8 per group). Anastomats were used in the study group, and the traditional hand-sewn method was used in the control group for standard Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy. We compared the operation time, incidence of complications, gross appearance, and pathological disparity in stoma between the two groups in 1-month and 3-month follow-up examinations., Results: The time spent on constructing the anastomosis for the study group was significantly shortened. Although no anastomotic stenosis occurred in the two groups, the narrowing rate of biliary-enteric anastomosis was much higher in the control group. There was one case of bile leakage in the control group, whereas no bile leakage occurred in the study group. A smoother surface, an improved layer apposition, and a lower local inflammatory response were identified in the anastomosis of the study group., Conclusion: The structures of the novel magnetic compressive anastomats are simple, and they are time-saving, safe and efficient for performing Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy procedures in a canine model of obstructive jaundice.

Background: Reconstruction of biliary drainage after liver transplantation (LTx) in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) has been a matter of controversy. Over recent years, the traditional method of Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (RY) has been challenged by duct-to-duct (DD) biliary reconstruction., Methods: This study represents a retrospective review of biliary complications, patient and graft survival after LTx in PSC patients based on type of biliary reconstruction. Outcomes of DD reconstruction in this group of patients and non-PSC patients are compared., Results: A total of 53 primary LTx procedures were performed for PSC between August 2005 and July 2010. Seven patients were excluded because unexpected cholangiocarcinoma was found in the explants (n=3) or because they received partial livers (n=4). Biliary reconstruction was performed as DD in 18 patients and RY in 28 patients. There were no bile leaks. Anastomotic stricture occurred in two (11%) patients in the DD group and one (4%) in the RY group. Two (7%) patients in the RY group developed non-PSC intrahepatic strictures and one had recurrence of PSC. Rates of 1- and 3-year patient and graft survival in the RY and DD groups were 96.7% and 96.7%, and 100% and 94.5%, respectively. In a group of 34 randomly selected patients transplanted for a non-PSC diagnosis with DD reconstruction during the same period, the anastomotic stricture rate was 9% and 1- and 3-year patient and graft survival rates were 97.0% and 88.5%; differences were not significant., Conclusions: Duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction at the time of LTx in selected PSC patients is both effective and safe, and shows outcomes comparable with those of RY reconstruction in these patients and those of DD reconstruction in non-PSC patients., (© 2011 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.)

Background: Biliary-enteric anastomosis (BEA) is a common surgical procedure performed for the management of biliary obstruction or leakage that results from a variety of benign and malignant diseases. Complications following BEA are not rare. We aimed to determine the incidence and the factors associated with early complications occurring after BEA for benign diseases., Methods: We reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent BEA for benign diseases at our institution between January 1988 and December 2009. The primary outcome was early post operative complication. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors predicting the occurrence of complications., Results: Records of 79 patients were reviewed. There were 34 (43%) males and 45 (57% females). Majority (53%) had choledocholithiasis with impacted stone or distal stricture, followed by traumatic injury to the biliary system (33%). Thirty-four patients (43%) underwent a hepaticojejunostomy, 19 patients (24%) underwent a choledochojejunostomy, and choledochoduodenostomy was performed in 26 patients (33%). Early complications occurred in 39 (49%) patients - 41% had local complications and 25% had systemic complications. Most frequent complications were wound infection (23%) and bile leak (10%). Four (5%) patients died. On multivariate analysis, low serum albumin level (odds ratio = 16, 95% CI = 1.14-234.6) and higher ASA levels (odds ratio = 7, 95% CI: 1.22-33.34) were the independent factors predicting the early complications following BEA., Conclusions: Half of the patients who underwent BEA for benign diseases had complications in our population. This high incidence may be explained by the high incidence of hypoalbuminemia and the high-risk group who underwent operation.

Background: Hemobilia is a rare but lethal biliary tract complication. There are several causes of hemobilia which might be classified as traumatic or nontraumatic. Hemobilia caused by pseudoaneurysm might result from hepatobiliary surgery or percutaneous interventional hepatobiliary procedures. However, to our knowledge, there are no previous reports pertaining to hemobilia caused by hepatic pseudoaneurysm after T-tube choledochostomy., Case Presentation: A 65-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of acute calculous cholecystitis and cholangitis. He underwent cholecystectomy, choledocholithotomy via a right upper quadrant laparotomy and a temporary T-tube choledochostomy was created. However, on the 19th day after operation, he suffered from sudden onset of hematemesis and massive fresh blood drainage from the T-tube choledochostomy. Imaging studies confirmed the diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm associated hemobilia. The probable association of T-tube choledochostomy with pseudoaneurysm and hemobilia is also demonstrated. He underwent emergent selective microcoils emobolization to occlude the feeding artery of the pseudoaneurysm., Conclusions: Pseudoaneurysm associated hemobilia may occur after T-tube choledochostomy. This case also highlights the importance that hemobilia should be highly suspected in a patient presenting with jaundice, right upper quadrant abdominal pain and upper gastrointestinal bleeding after liver or biliary surgery.

Biliary reconstruction using Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy has been suggested as a risk factor for the development of nonanastomotic biliary strictures (NAS) after liver transplantation. Roux-en-Y reconstruction, however, is preferentially used in patients transplanted for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and the disease itself is also associated with a higher incidence of NAS. The aim of this study was to determine whether Roux-en-Y reconstruction is really an independent risk factor for NAS. A series of 486 consecutive adult liver transplants were studied. Biliary reconstruction in patients transplanted for PSC was either by Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy or by duct-to-duct anastomosis, depending on the quality of the recipient's extrahepatic bile duct. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to identify risk factors for the development of NAS. The overall incidence of NAS was 16.5% (80/486). In univariate analyses, the following variables were significantly associated with NAS: PSC as the indication for transplantation, type of biliary reconstruction (Roux-en-Y versus duct-to-duct), and postoperative cytomegalovirus infection. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, PSC as the indication for transplantation (odds ratio, 2.813; 95% confidence interval, 1.624-4.875; P < 0.001) and postoperative cytomegalovirus infection (odds ratio, 2.098; 95% confidence interval, 1.266-3.477; P = 0.004) remained as independent risk factors for NAS. Biliary reconstruction using Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy was not identified as an independent risk factor for NAS. In conclusion, the association between Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy and NAS observed in previous studies can be explained by the more frequent use of Roux-en-Y reconstruction in patients with PSC. Roux-en-Y reconstruction itself is not an independent risk factor for NAS. Liver Transpl 15:924-930, 2009. (c) 2009 AASLD.

Background: Mirizzi syndrome is a rare complication of cholelithiasis, characterized by the narrowing of the common hepatic duct as a result of mechanical compression and/or inflammation due to biliary calculus impacted in the infundibula of the gallbladder or in the cystic duct. In this study, we aimed to describe the clinical presentations, investigations, operative details, and complications of seven patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and were finally diagnosed with Mirizzi syndrome in our center., Method: We performed a retrospective analysis of the records of 7 patients with Mirizzi syndrome who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography., Results: The incidence of Mirizzi syndrome was 1.07% of 656 patients given endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Ultrasonography was able to diagnose one case. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography suggested the diagnosis in five cases and helped further in the management of these patients. Four patients had cholecystectomy and T-tube placement, and two had cholecystectomy and choledochoduodenostomy. One patient with type I Mirizzi syndrome according to the Csendes classification successfully underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy., Conclusions: In the study, the incidence of Mirizzi syndrome was 1.07% of patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Preoperative diagnosis of Mirizzi syndrome by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is important to prevent complications.

A 68-year-old man underwent cholecystectomy and choledochoduodenostomy for biliary obstruction and nephrectomy for a renal tumor. Based on clinical and histopathologic findings, autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) was diagnosed. The renal tumor was diagnosed as a renal cell cancer. Steroid therapy was started and thereafter pancreatic inflammation improved. Five years after surgery, the patient was readmitted because of pyrexia in a preshock state. A Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess complicated by sepsis was diagnosed. The patient recovered with percutaneous abscess drainage and administration of intravenous antibiotics. Liver abscess recurred 1 mo later but was successfully treated with antibiotics. There has been little information on long-term outcomes of patients with AIP treated with surgery. To our knowledge, this is the second case of liver abscess after surgical treatment of AIP.

Choledochojejunostomy (CJS) is commonly used for biliary reconstruction in liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We alternatively performed choledochoduodenostomy (CDS) and side-to-side choledochodocholedochstomy in a large cohort of patients. Fifty-one patients with PSC, transplanted between 1988 and 2000, were analyzed retrospectively. Biliary reconstruction was CDS in 25 (49%), CJS in 20 (39%) and CC in 6 transplantations (12%). Biliary leaks occurred in the early follow-up (< or =41 days) only in CDS patients (20%). However, in the late follow-up (>4 months), stricturing of anastomosis was found once in CDS (4%) and CJS (5%). Later (>9 months), intrahepatic bile duct strictures were diagnosed in four CDS (16%), one CJS (5%) and one CC (17%) patient(s). In 48% of CDS (12/25), 60% of CJS (12/20) and 17% of CC (1/6) at least one incidence of cholangitis was observed. Overall, biliary complication rates were significantly higher in CDS (40%) than CJS (10%) and CC (17%); of those none in CC and 12% in CDS were anastomosis-related. Graft/patient survival showed no significant differences among groups. Based on our results we consider CJS the standard method for biliary reconstruction in PSC; however, in selected cases where CJS is difficult to accomplish because of previous surgery or for retransplantation, CDS may present an alternative technique.

Biliary complications remain a major concern after living donor liver transplantation. We describe a pediatric case who underwent a successful endoscopic balloon dilatation of biliary-enteric stricture following living donor liver transplantation using a newly developed method of enteroscopy. The 7-year-old boy with late biliary stricture of choledochojejunostomy was admitted 6 years after transplantation. Since percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography was technically difficult in this case, endoscopic retrograde cholangiography was performed using a double-balloon enteroscope under general anesthesia. The enteroscope was advanced retrograde through the duodenum, jejunum, and the leg of Roux-Y by the double-balloon method, and anastomotic stricture of choledochojejunostomy was clearly confirmed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and endoscopic direct vision. Balloon dilatation was performed and the anastomosis was expanded. Restenosis was not noted as of 2 years after the treatment. In conclusion, endoscopic balloon dilation of biliary-enteric anastomotic stricture using a new enteroscopic method can be regarded as an alternative choice to percutaneous transhepatic management and surgical re-anatomists.

The commonest complication of hepaticojejunostomy for the management of biliary strictures is recurrent cholangitis. We report a 54-year-old man who underwent choledochojejunostomy after choledochal cyst excision, and later developed ischemic stricture of the Roux-en-Y loop intestinal loop and recurrent cholangitis. The stricturous intestinal loop was excised with re-anastomosis with new Roux-en-Y loop, with uneventful recovery.

Objectives: Biliary complications are still common and often related to the use of biliary drains in liver transplant setting. We analyzed the incidence, treatment and outcome of biliary complications following adult orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) performed between February 2002 and October 2004., Methods: Overall there were 46 OLTx performed in 44 patients. Two cases of primary graft-non-function (one re-graft) and 2 early postoperative deaths were excluded from the study resulting in 42 OLTx performed in 41 patients included in the final analysis. Biliary reconstruction was by duct-to-duct choledochocholedochostomy (DD, n = 37) and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (RYHJ, n = 5) performed over an external Levin type biliary drain in all cases., Results: The overall incidence of biliary complications was 28.6% (12/42). Bile leak was the commonest and occurred in 16.6% (7/42) of transplants, whereas biliary strictures were found in 3 (7.2%) patients. Eight (19%) patients required surgical treatment and one patient died due to a biliary complication (2.4% mortality rate). Majority (7/12) of complications were bile drain related and all of these occurred in patients with DD anastomosis., Conclusion: Biliary complications continue to cause significant morbidity after OLTx but rarely result in mortality if early diagnosis and prompt therapy is applied. Majority of biliary complications following DD anastomosis have been related to the use of biliary drains. In view of this and endoscopic expertise available, duct to duct anastomosis without a biliary drain may reduce complication rates and improve outcome.

Objective: To describe the causes and treatment of iatrogenic bile duct injury caused by cholecystectomy., Methods: 182 patients with iatrogenic extrahepatic bile duct injury from 4 university hospitals of China were reviewed. Details of primary cholecystectomy, biliary reconstruction as well as postoperative management were recorded. All patients were followed up for at least 6 months (6 months to 9 years, median 3.5 years). The adequacy of repair was assessed by regular evaluation of the patients' clinical status and liver function variables. Hepatobiliary B-ultrasonography was used routinely in the follow up of patients, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography was applied in the patients suggestive of abnormality., Results: In 152 patients, bile duct injury happened during open cholecystectomy, and in 30 patients during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. All the injuries developed during anterograde cholecystectomy (at the Calot's triangle). All the patients with these injuries underwent choledochocholedochostomy or Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy with good results (161 patients), recurrent stricture (11), and death (10)., Conclusions: During cholecystectomy, the Calot's triangle should be identified anatomically, but retrograde cholecystectomy is the optimal choice. Bile duct injury should be discovered as soon as possible and be managed timely. Different operative methods are optional according to the degree of injury and the postoperative period.

Biliary tract complications represent an important problem after transplantation. They are not only important in the immediate posttransplantation period, but perhaps of even greater importance in the long-term management of transplant recipients. One of the major changes that has occurred over the past several years is an increasing use of nonoperative therapy, either via endoscopic or percutaneous routes. In many cases of biliary leak, stones, and T-tube malposition, nonoperative management may be curative. The exact role they play in the management of strictures, particularly diffuse stricturing and isolated hepatic duct strictures, remains to be determined. At the least, it provides temporary drainage before initiating surgical therapy. In addition to being efficacious, nonsurgical management is quite safe. In 64 cases of biliary complications managed nonoperatively, complications occurred at UCSF in only four patients. One patient developed bleeding along the percutaneous catheter tract and required replacement with a larger diameter catheter to tamponade the bleeding. Two patients developed hemobilia secondary to intrahepatic pseudoaneurysms caused by the percutaneous drainage catheter. One patient developed an osteomyelitis of a rib related to an indwelling percutaneous biliary catheter that responded to antibiotics and rib resection. Finally, understanding several of the biliary complications that occur after transplantation (ie, sphincter of Oddi dysfunction) will require additional research and hopefully will determine the pathophysiology of these complications. This should lead to more rational therapy.

Introduction: Therapeutic Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ERCP) is an established mode of treatment for bile duct lesions., Aim: This paper reviews the role of ERCP in the management of bile duct lesions developing after biliary surgery., Patients and Methods: Of the 894 ERCPs performed in our department between January 1990 and May 1992, 23 (13 female, 10 male) were for patients with post-operative bile duct lesions. The mean age of these 23 patients was 59 years (range 38-91 years). The previous biliary surgical procedures were conventional cholecystectomy (n = 19), laparoscopic cholecystectomy (n = 3) and a cholecystectomy with choledochojejunostomy. Associated medical conditions of ischaemic heart disease, unstable angina, hypertensive heart disease, chronic obstructive airway disease and hepatitis B cirrhosis were present in 7 of these patients., Results: Ten patients had benign biliary strictures. Endoscopic stenting (with one or 2 stents) was successful in 9. The strictures reopened in 2 patients after a total stenting duration of 12 and 18 months respectively. Four patients had biliary leakages that were successfully treated with stenting. Two patients had spontaneous sealing of biliary leak at 3 and 6 months respectively. Nine patients had retained stones (7 with solitary stone, 2 with multiple stones) that were successfully removed with Dormia basket after sphincterotomy. Complications were few and manageable., Conclusions: Therapeutic ERCP is safe and effective. It is a useful adjunct in the management of patients with post-operative biliary lesions.

Objective: The authors evaluated the complication rate and outcome of side-to-side common bile duct anastomosis after human orthotopic liver transplantation., Summary Background Data: Early and late biliary tract complications after orthotopic liver transplantation remain a serious problem, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Commonly performed techniques are the end-to-end choledochocholedochostomy and the choledochojejunostomy. Both techniques are known to coincide with a high incidence of leakage and stenosis of the bile duct anastomosis. The side-to-side bile duct anastomosis has been shown experimentally to be superior to the end-to-end anastomosis. The authors present the results of 316 human liver transplants, in which a side-to-side choledochocholedochostomy was performed., Methods: Biliary tract complications of 370 transplants in 340 patients were evaluated. Three hundred patients received primary liver transplants with side-to-side anastomosis of donor and recipient common bile duct. Thirty-two patients with biliary tract pathology received a bilioenteric anastomosis, and in eight patients, side-to-side anastomosis was not performed for various reasons. Clinical and laboratory investigations were carried out at prospectively fixed time points. X-ray cholangiography was performed routinely in all patients on postoperative days (PODs) 5 and 42. In patients with suspected papillary stenosis, endoscopic retrograde cholangioscopy and papillotomy were performed., Results: One biliary leakage (0.3%) was observed within the early postoperative period (PODs 0 through 30) after liver transplantation. No stenosis of the common bile duct anastomosis was observed during this time. Late biliary stenosis occurred in two patients (0.6%). T tube-related complications were observed in 4 of 300 primary transplants (1.3%). Complications unrelated to the surgical technique, including papillary stenosis (5.7%) and ischemic-type biliary lesion (3.0%), which must be considered more serious in nature than complications of the anastomosis or T tube-related complications, were observed. Papillary stenosis led to frequent endoscopic interventions and retransplantations in 1.3%., Conclusions: Side-to-side common bile duct anastomosis represents a safe technique of bile duct reconstruction and leads to a low technical complication rate after human orthotopic liver transplantation. Ischemic-type biliary lesion evoked by preservation injury, arterial ischemia, cholestasis, and cholangitis may represent a new entity of biliary complication, which markedly increases the morbidity after human liver transplantation. Therefore, this complication should be the subject of further research.

Objective: To evaluate the results and complications of choledochoduodenostomy and choledochojejunostomy for benign and malignant disease and to review them in the light of the survival of the underlying disorders., Design: Retrospective analysis of medical records completed by a thorough inquiry for all patients who were lost to follow-up., Setting: Referrals for primary and secondary surgery for obstructive biliary disease to a university hospital from 1974-1987., Patients: After exclusion of patients who underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer (Whipple procedure) 113 patients were included in the study (choledochoduodenostomy = CD,N = 64 and choledochojejunostomy = CJ, N = 49). A complete follow-up was achieved in 105 of 113 patients (93%)., Interventions: An inquiry was made at the civil registration office if the patients were alive or not. The general practitioners of the patients who had died were contacted about the cause of death and the possible biliary symptoms preceding death and the patients who were still alive received a questionnaire which scrutinized all possible complications and side effects of the operation., Endpoints: Cholangitis, recurrence of the underlying disease or death of the patient., Measurements and Main Results: Operative mortality was 4.7% following CD and 12.2% following CJ. Procedure-related complications were found in 10.9% and 28.6% respectively. Recurrent cholangitis was not seen after CD and in three patients with a CJ (6.1%). Survival following biliodigestive anastomosis for benign obstruction was comparable for age and sex matched survival., Conclusions: Although CD for choledocholithiasis has largely been replaced by endoscopic papillotomy and although the choice between the two procedures in malignant disease is most frequently dictated by the operative findings, we conclude that the choledochoduodenostomy is a relative simple operation with a low risk of cholangitis.

From a consecutive series of 190 patients with choledochoduodenostomy (CDD) and 56 patients with transduodenal sphincteroplasty (TDS), there were 10 and 3 hospital deaths respectively. A long term follow-up study was performed on the remainder. Late deaths occurred in 35 CDD and 5 TDS patients. Serious long term complications occurred in 3.3% of CDD cases, comprising 5 cases of 'sump syndrome' and a further case of cholangitis in the presence of a clear biliary tree. Cholangitis occurred in 2 of the TDS patients (3.8%). Recurrent common duct stones were found in 3 of the 'sump syndrome' cases (1.6%) and one of the TDS patients with cholangitis (1.9%). Eighty-eight per cent of the CDD patients and 90.2% of the TDS patients, who were reviewed, were subjectively well. Serum alkaline phosphatase was raised in 21.6% of the CDD patients and only 3.4% of the TDS group (P less than 0.05). Radiological studies showed that the CDD stoma admitted air and barium more often than the TDS stoma (P less than 0.001). Neither the biochemical nor the radiological findings correlated with the long term symptomatic results of the two procedures. Dynamic HIDA scans showed a shorter time to peak activity in the common hepatic duct for both CDD (P less than 0.01) and TDS (P less than 0.05) as compared with endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES). These long-term clinical, biochemical and radiological results are similar to those reported following ES.

In order to assess the patency and function of biliary-enteric anastomoses performed in our Department of Surgery, 21 patients entered the following study, provided an informed consent was obtained. All the patients were affected by benign biliary tract diseases and underwent either Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (11 cases), or side-to-side choledochoduodenostomy (10 cases). The 21 patients were evaluated with Tc-99m-HIDA scanning at intervals of 20 days-36 months after the surgical procedure (mean 14 months). The images were obtained after intravenous injection of the radioactive medium (5 mCi) and the scans were taken at 1 min (1 frame/s), 3 min (1 frame/10 s), and 56 min (1 frame/2 min). THe data were analyzed by a Digital PDP 11/34 Computer System. This method allowed us to assess each individual patient for the patency of the anastomosis and, by computer analysis, to build up a profile of the timing of the passage of the radioactive medium through the anastomosis, a delayed passage across the anastomosis was always pathological. In conclusion, the 99m-Tc-HIDA scanning used in our study for long-term follow-up of biliary-enteric anastomoses is reliable and allows an assessment of prognosis.