Is suture ligation of cystic duct in laparoscopic cholecystectomy a safe alternative to clipping? Our experience in a rural centre

Abstract

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most common surgeries performed nowadays. It remains an enigma regarding efficacy, safety and postoperative complications for using suture ligation for ligating cystic duct in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The aim of the present study was to study the efficacy of ligating the cystic duct with sutures in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Methods: This prospective study was performed between June 2018 and April 2019 in Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, in a rural center, Kanchipuram, India. All the patients included consented for the study. Patients who underwent subtotal cholecystectomy were excluded from the study.Results: The study included 70 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a single unit. All cases were operated by a single surgeon. Of the 70 patients, the Cystic duct (CD) was simply ligated in 55 patients with CD <5 mm in diameter. The CD in 15 of those patients had to be divided and sutured in continuity for wide CD (>5 mm). The mean time for ligation of cystic duct was 5 min. Similarly, the mean time for ligation of cystic artery was 1.50 min. The mean operative time was 50 mins. There were no postoperative complications, such as bile leakage.Conclusions: SL of the CD is a very safe and secure alternative to the application of metal clips. It can be used in dilated CD, readily available and very cost effective and the complications of clips are avoided. The only disadvantage is that it needs expertise to perform and subsequently increasing the operating time. This technique is recommended in all laparoscopic cholecystectomies, especially in difficult cases.