Incidence of vascular lesions associated with disruption of the bile duct secondary to cholecystectomy.

Background: One of the most serious complications of cholecystectomy is bile duct disruption, which can be associated with concomitant vascular injury in up to 3.4%. The incidence, demographic characteristics and treatment are underreported worldwide.

Objective: To determine the incidence of vascular lesions in patients with a diagnosis of bile duct disruption secondary to cholecystectomy from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019, confirmed by preoperative CT angiography or intraoperative findings.

Method: Retrospective, observational and analytical study of a series of cases between 2015 and 2019. Where a total of 144 cases of bile duct disruption were found, 15 cases (10%) with concomitant vascular injury.

Results: The most frequent vascular injury was of the right hepatic artery in 13 patients (87%). The level of biliary disruption most frequently associated was Strasberg E3 and E4 in 5 patients (36%), respectively. The treatment of vascular injury was ligation of the injured vessel in 11 patients (73%). The treatment established for the repair of biliary disruption was the hepatic jejunum anastomosis in 14 patients (93%).

Conclusions: The presence of injury at the level of the right hepatic artery is the most frequent and its ligation did not show a significant impact on biliodigestive reconstruction, as long as an adequate technique is performed (Hepp-Couinaud).