Quality of life after repair of iatrogenic bile duct injury of postcholecystectomy Filipino patients

Abstract

Aims: The estimated incidence of bile duct injuries (BDIs) has increased ranging from 0.4% to 0.7% since global recognition of laparoscopic cholecystectomy as a standard procedure. Bile duct injuries are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, as well as substantial health care costs, and malpractice litigation claims. This study aims to determine the quality of life (QoL) of Filipino patients after repair of BDIs incurred from their previous laparoscopic or open cholecystectomies. Methods: A total of 22 patients post-repair of BDIs and 22 age- and sex-matched patients who had unremarkable cholecystectomies from 1997 to 2017 were recruited for this study. The patients were requested to answer a survey on QoL using RAND 36-Item Health Survey 1.0, a validated survey which includes a multi-item scale that assesses eight health concepts. Results: Patients with BDIs had lower scores in all domains compared to non-BDI group. Physical functioning and role limitations due to physical health are statistically significant (p values 0.0473 and 0.0025). Conclusion: The effect of BDI is considerable and bears an impact on a patient’s health and well-being. Physical functioning and role limitations due to physical health were identified to be impaired among these patients and these factors should be assessed during long-term follow-up.