Abdominal wall sinus as a result of spilled gallstone post laparoscopic cholecystectomy : a case report

Abstract EN

This is a case report of a 73 year old male patient who presented with a chronic discharging sinus from the right side of his abdominal wall almost three years after he underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

CAT scan showed a sinus tract leading to a radio-opaque foreign body located in a cavity just lateral to the right edge of the right lobe of the liver, highly suggestive of a gallstone being slipped during cholecystectomy.

The patient underwent surgery where the sinus tract was excised and a gallstone was removed from a cavity sinus in the peritoneum just lateral to the right edge of the right lobe of the liver.

Both the laparotomy wound and sinus tract wound were completely healed three weeks post operatively.

Gallstone abscess and sinus formation post laparoscopic cholecystectomy are becoming more common than expected due to the underestimation of many surgeons of the hazards that may result from gallbladder perforation and stone spillage intraperitonially during the procedure.

This a rare and new complication post laparoscopic cholecystectomy and can be prevented by several simple precautions and manoeuvres.

Increase of awareness about this type of complication will facilitate it prevention.