Pseudoaneurysm of the hepatic artery along with common bile duct injury following laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Abstract

Arterial injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy have been described frequently in literature. However, arterial injuries presenting in a delayed fashion as pseudoaneurysms are uncommon and the literature on the subject is also scant. Two patients are described here who developed pseudoaneurysms of the right branch of the hepatic artery following laparoscopic cholecystectomy along with lacerations of the common bile duct. One patient presented 7 days after the initial procedure with a bile fistula and bleeding from the drainage tube. The second presented as obstructive jaundice 4 months after the laparoscopic procedure. Both patients were operated upon after appropriate radiological evaluation. These are unusual complications but need to be kept in mind whenever patients present with bleeding or jaundice after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.