Abstract
Background
Although the endoscopic management of bile leaks after cholecystectomy (CCY) is well established, the yield of a routine endoscopic retrograde cholangiogram (ERC) with a bile duct sweep at the time of stent removal is unclear. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of abnormal findings at follow-up ERC to determine whether upper endoscopy with stent removal and without cholangiography would suffice.
Methods
A retrospective cohort analysis of all patients referred for initial and follow-up ERC with post-CCY bile leak was performed. The rate of abnormal findings was measured including choledocholithiasis, biliary strictures, and persistent bile leaks at follow-up ERC. Secondarily, the study sought to define the clinical characteristics of patients who demonstrated stones or sludge at follow-up assessment.
Results
Between January, 2003 and April, 2008, 105 patients underwent initial and follow-up ERC. After a mean interval of 6.9 ± 2.7 weeks between endoscopies, 29 (27.6%) of the 105 patients demonstrated one or more abnormalities including persistent bile leak (n = 8), common bile duct (CBD) stones (n = 12), and CBD sludge alone (n = 9). In the subgroup analysis of the patients who underwent a balloon sweep at initial and follow-up ERC, the prevalence of CBD stones or sludge at the follow-up ERC was 17.6%. Besides stones during the initial ERC, no significant clinical predictors of CBD stones were found at follow-up ERC including surgical approach, interval between endoscopies, and location of bile leak.
Conclusion
After endoscopic treatment of a bile leak, the prevalence of abnormalities at follow-up ERC is significant. A repeat cholangiogram with a balloon sweep is preferred at the time of stent removal.
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Disclosures
Gregory A. Coté, Michael Ansstas, Somal Shah, Rajesh N. Keswani, Saad Alkade, Sreenivasa S. Jonnalagadda, Steven A. Edmundowicz, and Riad R. Azar have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.
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Coté, G.A., Ansstas, M., Shah, S. et al. Findings at endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography after endoscopic treatment of postcholecystectomy bile leaks. Surg Endosc 24, 1752–1756 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-009-0842-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-009-0842-3