Bile Duct Leak After Liver Surgery

In addition the digestive process suffers because the proper amounts of bile are not being delivered to break down fats that are consumed.

Bile duct leak after liver surgery.

Bile leaks are often corrected by placing a stent narrow tube in the duct to keep bile from escaping while the duct heals. In this study we reviewed the bile leakage according to the isgls definition and grading table 1 not our previous institutional criteria. Bile leakage is defined as fluid with an increased bilirubin concentration in the abdominal drain after postoperative day 3 or as the need for radiologic intervention. Leakage occurs as a result of a small tear or a hole anywhere in the bile duct.

At the bile duct and pancreatic diseases program part of the university of michigan s division of gastroenterology our multidisciplinary team provides the newest minimally invasive treatments for bile duct leaks. A bile duct leak can arise either as a complication of a surgery such as gallbladder removal or liver transplant or from trauma to the biliary system. Bile leaks that may result from cholecystectomy have been described by mckenzie and by foster and wayson and are caused by a slipped cystic duct ligature or a leak from an accessory or anomalous bile duct. If a bile duct is damaged during surgery bile may leak into the abdominal cavity causing extreme pain.

A small hole anywhere along the bile ducts can cause bile to leak into the abdominal cavity. Those resulting from hepatic surgery are caused by a leak from a biliary anastomotic site dislodgement or removal of an external drainage tube or damage to a bile duct during surgery.