BACKGROUND: The medical advances is not always related to homogeneous good results for all the patients. This is the case of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, whose advantages are largely recognized in the medical literature. However, this operation most dreaded complication, iatrogenic major bile duct injury, is rising in the last years, despite the learning curve, and stabilized in a level higher than that experienced in open cholecystectomy. Among the features which can bring to this event a good outcome is the use of transhepatic transanastomotic tubes in association with the corrective hepaticojejunostomy. AIM: To report a 20 years experience on biliary reconstruction of bile duct injuries with the use of transhepatic transanastomotic tubes. METHODS: Data were analysed from 338 patients who underwent operation for major bile duct injuries between January 1988 and December 2009. RESULTS: All the 338 patients were submitted to Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (Hepp-Couinaud approach) or distinct cholangiojejunostomies, all with the use of transhepatic transanastomotic silastic tubes. A successful long-term result was achieved in 240 (92,9%) of 338 patients, including those who required subsequent procedures. CONCLUSION: Benign bile duct strictures near the hepatic duct confluence remains a surgical challenge. The use of silastic transhepatic transanastomotic tubes in high biliary tract reconstruction is an option which can provides a successful repair of bile duct injuries with low complication rates.
Biliary surgical procedure; Benign biliary strictures; Stents; Surgery
