Endoscopic management of biliary injuries and leaks

Bile duct injuries and subsequent leaks can occur following laparoscopic and open cholecystectomies and also during other hepatobiliary surgeries. Various patient related and technical factors are implicated in the causation of biliary injuries. Over a period of twenty five years managing such patients of biliary injuries our team has found a practical approach to assess the cause of biliary injuries based on the symptoms, clinical examination and imaging. Bismuth classification is helpful in most of the cases. Immediate referral to a centre experienced in the management of bile duct injury and timely intervention is associated with improved outcomes. Resuscitation, correcting dyselectrolytemia, aspiration of undrained biloma and antibiotics take the priority in the management. The goal is to restore the bile conduit, and to prevent short and longterm complications such as biliary fistula, intra-abdominal abscess, biliary stricture, recurrent cholangitis and secondary biliary cirrhosis. Endoscopic therapy by reducing the transpapillary pressure gradient helps in reducing the leak. Endoscopic therapy with biliary sphincterotomy alone or with additional placement of a biliary stent/ nasobiliary drainage is advocated. In our tertiary care referral unit, we found endoscopic interventions are useful in situations where there is leak with associated CBD calculus or a foreign body, peripheral bile duct injury, cystic duct stump leak and partial bile duct injury with leak/ narrowing of the lumen. Endotherapy is not useful in case of complete transection (total cut off) and complete stricture involving common hepatic or common bile ducts. In conclusion, endoscopic treatment can be considered a highly effective therapy and should be the first-line therapy in such patients. Though less successful, an endoscopic attempt is warranted in patients suffering from central bile duct leakages failing which surgical management is recommended