Evaluating Surgery Outcomes in Patients with Bile Duct Injury Following Cholecystectomy According to Referral Pattern; A Five-Year Study

Abstract

Background: Bile duct injury is one of the rare injuries in cholecystectomy that is associated with serious complications. This study aimed to evaluate and compare early and late referral patterns in patients with bile duct injury following cholecystectomy. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 64 patients with bile duct injury following cholecystectomy were enrolled into the study according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patients were divided into two groups according to the types of bile duct injuries (based on early and late referral). The postoperative results were evaluated in two groups. Findings: Postoperative complications such as bile duct dilatation (P < 0.001), pruritus (P < 0.001), and cholangitis (P = 0.020) were significantly higher in the late referral group than early referral group. In addition, mean values of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) in the late referral group were significantly higher than early referral group, too (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). Conclusion: If patients with bile duct injury be diagnosed and referred at early stages (early referral), postoperative complications and duration of complication reduce significantly in these patients.

Keywords

• Cholecystectomy
• Bile duct injury
• Referral patterns
• Postoperative complications