CONTEXT

Primary closure of the common bile duct (CBD) without drainage is considered a suitable approach after laparoscopic CBD exploration (LCBDE); however, the risk of post-operative bile leakage is high. Up to now, it has not been clear whether human fibrin sealant can reduce post-operative bile leakage of the primary suture.

AIMS

In this study, we evaluated the role of human fibrin sealant in primary closure of the CBD after LCBDE.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Patients with choledocholithiasis who had undergone primary duct closure of the CBD after LCBDE were divided into two groups according to whether fibrin sealant was used.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Fisher's exact test or the Chi-square test was used for categorical variables to calculate frequencies and percentages between the groups. The Student's t-test was used to compare the means of the continuous variables between the groups.

RESULTS

The human fibrin sealant group had a lower rate of post-operative bile leakage compared to the other group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in additional parameters such as operative time, post-operative stay duration, time to drain removal, bile duct stenosis, acute allergic reaction and overall mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Human fibrin sealant can reduce post-operative bile leakage in primary closure of CBD after LCBDE in patients with choledocholithiasis.