Posterior Hepatic Duct Injury during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy finally Necessitating Hepatic Resection: Case Report

A case of bile duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy finally necessitating right hepatic lobectomy is reported to re-emphasize the importance of preoperative and intraoperative assessment of the biliary tree. A 47-year-old Japanese woman underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholecystolithiasis. On postoperative day 5, fever and right hypochondralgia developed, and CT revealed fluid collection at the right hypochondrium. Percutaneous drainage was performed, and subsequent fistulography revealed a communication of the cystic cavity with the right posterior bile duct, which suggested injury of the aberrant hepatic duct. Conservative therapy, including the adaptation of fibrin glue, was performed, but closure of the fistula and cavity was not obtainable. Finally, a right hepatic lobectomy was performed four months after cholecystectomy. In this case, endoscopie retrograde cholangiopancreatography was unsuccessful preoperatively, and intraoperative cholangiography was not done. This case report re-emphasizes that the preoperative and intraoperative examination of the biliary tree is mandatory to avoid bile duct injury.