Study of bile leak after hepatic hydatid cyst surgery in Basrah

Abstract EN

Conservative surgery (partial per cystectomy and cyst contents evacuation with cavity management by external drainage, omentoplasty or capitonnaige) for uncomplicated hydrated cysts of the liver is known to be safe but is often associated with bile leak in rate of 18.81 % and its sequel.

The cause of bile leak is almost always due to cyst biliary communication, this is usually occult and difficult to be diagnosed pre-operatively, if remain undiagnosed intra-operatively it will be presented as post-operative bile leak.

In this study, several laboratory and radiological predictors used to evaluate those patients having high risk of bile leak after conservative hepatic hydrated cyst surgery.

Also it aimed to study the fate of bile leak, its complications, how to avoid it and the way of management.

This study is a combined prospective (from 2004-2010) & retrospective cases study performed in Basrah hospitals, Iraq; (Al-Marwan Hospital, Basrah General Hospital, Al-Sader Teaching Hospital, and some of Private Hospitals) ; we analyzed records of 183 cases of hepatic hydrated cyst undergoing conservative surgery, of them 15 patient had bile leak intra-operatively and 20 patients had bile leak post-operatively.

Patients with intra-biliary rupture of hydrated cyst or obstructive jaundice are excluded from this study.

Bile leak occur in 35 patients (18.81 %) from total 183 patients of which intra-operative bile leak seen in 15 patients (43 %) and 20 patients (57 %) as post-operative bile leak represented as external biliary fistula.

laboratory predictors of biliary leakage were alkaline phosphatase > 250 U / L, total serum bilirubin > 17 umol / l, cyst diameter > 8 cm, multilocular or degenerative cyst also increase risk of bile leak.

Post-operative complications are more in patients with bile leak (57 %) than those without bile leak (12 %).

Hospital stay is longer in patients with bile leak 4.9 weeks while it is 1.06 week in those without bile leak.

In conclusion, bile leak is not uncommon after hepatic hydrated cyst surgery, it can be predicted by certain laboratory and radiological factors thus indicate the need for additional procedures during operation to detect the cysto-biliary communication and manage the biliary leakage and its complications.