Anterograde bile duct drainage for intractable bile leakage after hepatectomy in a patient with previous pancreatoduodenectomy: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic retrograde drainage is effective for managing bile leakage, which is relatively common after hepatectomy without bile duct reconstruction. However, the procedure is difficult to perform after pancreatoduodenectomy with choledochojejunostomy. We present a case of anterograde bile duct drainage for intractable bile leakage after hepatectomy in a patient with previous pancreatoduodenectomy. PRESENTATION OF CASE: An 80-year-old woman with a history of pancreatoduodenectomy for distal biliary cancer and adjuvant chemotherapy presented with bile leakage. Six years after the pancreatoduodenectomy, she underwent partial hepatectomy for suspected metastasis or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. On the 9th postoperative day, bile leaked from her drainage tube forming an abscess cavity; this continued until the 28th postoperative day. We attempted selective anterograde drainage from the cut surface of the liver under fluoroscopic guidance using a guidewire and Cobra-type catheter. We selectively cannulated the entrance hole of the bile duct. Twenty days after the drainage, the abscess cavity disappeared. After 41 days, the tube was removed, and the patient was discharged. We suggest this procedure as a possible treatment option for difficult bile leakage cases. DISCUSSION: A case of intractable bile leakage after hepatectomy in a patient with a previous history of pancreatoduodenectomy is difficult to manage, and usually needs surgical intervention. The effect of selective cannulation of the entrance hole of the bile duct has not been studied. CONCLUSION: Selective anterograde bile duct drainage for intractable bile leakage after hepatectomy in a patient with a previous history of pancreatoduodenectomy successfully resolved bile duct leakage in our patient.