[Laparoscopic cholecystectomy causing injury to biliary tracts. Analysis of the results of 26,440 operations in Hungary].

The authors analyse the etiology, diagnosis, treatment and outcome of 148 biliary tract injuries in connection with 26,440 laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed in 89 domestic institutes between January 1st, 1991, and December 31st, 1994. There was no significant correlation between the amount of laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed in one institute and the incidence of biliary tract injuries and postoperative bile leakage (wide range of figures were found in different institutes), but in the second year of practice, the incidence of both complication decreased (there was statistically significant difference between the regression co-efficients). There was no significant correlation between the laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed and the rate of conversion, but the co-efficient of the regression curve showing the correlation of the absolute number of laparoscopic cholecystectomies and conversions significantly decreased in the second year of practice. In institutes having significantly more conversions, more cases of bile leakage was found also. There is a significantly positive relationship between biliary tract injuries and postoperative bile leakage; the more lesions are found in an institute, the more cases of bile leakage they have. There was no significant relationship between the incidence biliary tract injuries and postoperative bile leakage and the usage of intraoperative cholangiography, preoperative intravenous cholangiography and/or ERCP. The partial and complete injuries of main bile ducts were detected intraoperatively significantly more often while most of the lesions of the area of cystic duct were detected postoperatively. There was no significant difference between the types of the only postoperative recognized injuries and the time of establishing the diagnosis. Simple suture was performed in 69.2% of the partial injuries (with or without T-tube or other drainage), while 63.3% of the complete transsections were treated with biliodigestive anastomosis. In univariant analysis the type of injury, the primary treatment modality did not affect on the outcome (the ratio of cured and expired), but significantly more patients continue to have complaints following biliodigestive anastomosis than following the treatment of lesions around the cystic duct. The older the patient is, the worse the prognosis is. The primary treatment modality (biliodigestive anastomosis or biliary tract reconstruction with or without drain) did not significantly altered the necessity of reoperation. Thermic injury caused significantly more partial than complete lesion. Disturbance in identification of the anatomic structures leads significantly more partial or complete main bile duct injuries than lesion in region of the cystic duct and causes more complete transsections than partial lesions. According to multivariant analysis the outcome is significantly influenced in an adverse way by the necessity of repeated interventions and higher age.