Revisional surgery for recurrent benign bile duct strictures

Abstract

Bile duct injuries during cholecystectomy are not rare and may have significant long-term morbidity. Treatment of these injuries is complex and needs a multidisciplinary approach. This study aims to evaluate the results of revisional surgery performed for recurrent biliary strictures that developed after a prior repair. Patients who had been surgically treated for a major biliary injury during open or laparoscopic cholecystectomy and operated on for recurrent stricture in our institute were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 11 patients who were referred to the surgery clinic were included. The median length of stay after revisional surgery was 9 days (range 5–30 days). Five patients (45%) had experienced at least one postoperative complication. The median follow-up period was 36 months (range 5–69 months). Terblanche clinical scores of all patients were 1 or 2 at their last clinical visit. None of the 11 patients required reoperation and no mortality was seen during the postoperative period. Although revisional biliary surgery for recurrent biliary strictures is a challenging procedure, these revisions can be performed with favorable results. Meticulous preoperative evaluation and implementation of precise surgical technique are essential to achieve long-term success.