Does routine intra-operative cholangiography reduce the risk of biliary injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy? An evidence-based approach

SAGES SAFE CHOLE program changes surgeons practice in France-results of the FCVD implementation of SAFE CHOLE in France

BACKGROUND

With the Society of Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons supervision, the Safe Cholecystectomy Task Force (SAFE CHOLE) was translated into French by the the Federation of Visceral and Digestive Surgery (FCVD) and adopted to run on its national e-learning platform for surgical continuing medical education (CME). The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the SAFE CHOLE (SF) program on the knowledge and practice of French surgeons performing cholecystectomy and participating in the FCVD lead CME activity.

METHODS

To obtain CME certification, each participant must fill out three FCVD validated questionnaires regarding (1) the participants' routine practice for cholecystectomy, (2) the participants' knowledge and practice after successful completion of the program, and (3) the educational value of the SC program.

RESULTS

From 2021 to 2022, 481 surgeons completed the program. The overall satisfaction rate for the program was 81%, and 53% of the surgeons were practicing routine cholangiography before the SC program. Eighty percent declared having acquired new knowledge. Fifty-six percent reported a change in their practice of cholecystectomy. Of those, 46% started routinely using the critical view of safety, 12% used a time-out prior transection of vital structures, and 11% adopted routine intraoperative cholangiography. Sixty-seven percent reported performing a sub-total cholecystectomy in case the CVS was unobtainable. If faced with BDI, 45% would transfer to a higher level of care, 33% would seek help from a colleague, and 10% would proceed with a repair. Ninety percent recommended adoption of SC by all general surgeons and 98% reported improvement of patient safety.

CONCLUSIONS

Large-scale implementation of the SC program in France is feasible within a broad group of diverse specialty surgeons and appears to have a significant impact on their practice. These data should encourage other surgeons and health systems to engage in this program.

Evidence-based surgery for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is frequently performed for acute cholecystitis and symptomatic cholelithiasis. Considerable variation in the execution of key steps of the operation remains. We conducted a systematic review of evidence regarding best practices for critical intraoperative steps for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods

We identified 5 main intraoperative decision points in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: (1) number and position of laparoscopic ports; (2) identification of cystic artery and duct; (3) division of cystic artery and duct; (4) indications for subtotal cholecystectomy; and (5) retrieval of the gallbladder. PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were queried for relevant studies. Randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews were included for analysis, and evidence quality was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework.

Results

Fifty-two articles were included. Although all port configurations were comparable from a safety standpoint, fewer ports sometimes resulted in improved cosmesis or decreased pain but longer operative times. The critical view of safety should be obtained for identification of the cystic duct and artery but may be obtained through fundus-first dissection and augmented with cholangiography or ultrasound. Insufficient evidence exists to compare harmonic-shear, clipless ligation against clip ligation of the cystic duct and artery. Stump closure during subtotal cholecystectomy may reduce rates of bile leak and reoperation. Use of retrieval bag for gallbladder extraction results in minimal benefit. Most studies were underpowered to detect differences in incidence of rare complications.

Conclusion

Key operative steps of laparoscopic cholecystectomy should be informed by both compiled data and surgeon preference/patient considerations.

The Cost and the Effectiveness of Cholangiography for the Diagnosis and Treatment of a Bile Duct Injury After Difficult Identification of the Cystic Duct

BACKGROUND

This study aims to assess the cost and the effectiveness of intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) for the diagnosis and treatment of a bile duct injury (BDI) after incorrect or difficult identification of the cystic duct (DICD) during a cholecystectomy.

METHODS

Between 2009 and 2015, 810 surgeons reported 1161 treatment-related adverse events related to the DICD during cholecystectomy in the French REX database; 623 patients (54%) underwent IOC, and 30% (n = 348) of DICD had a BDI. The therapeutic procedures and the treatment costs have been compared between the IOC group (CG) and the group without IOC (WCG).

RESULTS

The BDI intraoperative diagnosis was significantly higher in the CG: 96% vs. 67% p = 0.001. The number of therapeutic procedure was significantly higher in the WCG OR: 6 (3-10.6). The rate of biliodigestive anastomosis (8.3%) was similar between the both groups. The average cost of cholecystectomy in the at-risk population of DICD was higher in the group that did not undergo IOC (6204 euros vs. 8831 euros). The estimated loss without IOC in the studied population was between 788,170 and 2,039,020 euros.

CONCLUSION

The IOC was an assurance of quality and cost reduction in the immediate management of the BDI and should be systematic in front of a DICD during a cholecystectomy.

Increasing use of intraoperative cholangiogram in Australia: is it evidence-based?

BACKGROUND

The role of routine intraoperative cholangiograms (IOCs) for prevention of bile duct injury (BDI) is contentious. There are recent reports of limited utility of IOC in preventing BDI. In Australia, IOCs are used more frequently than internationally. This study aimed to evaluate the rate of IOC use in Australia and explore potential changes in practice in light of evolving evidence for the utility of IOC.

METHODS

Data were collated using service item numbers in Medicare Benefits Scheme records on the Australian Government Medicare website, for services claimed between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2019. These data were used to analyse trends in rates of IOC, cholecystectomy and BDI repair. Data were age-standardized to account for changes in the population over time.

RESULTS

The number of IOCs claimed increased by 31.8% and cholecystectomies by 7.0% over the study period. Age-standardized service rates per 100 000 persons increased by 5.5 and 32.6, respectively. Rates of IOC per 100 000 cholecystectomies steadily increased across the study period, while BDI repair rates remained low and erratic.

CONCLUSION

Increasing use of IOC over the last 20 years reflects a trend towards routine rather than selective IOC; however, there is little discernible change in the number of BDIs requiring repair procedures. This suggests that routine IOC use to prevent or minimize BDI is unwarranted. Further investigation is required into the selective IOC use in high-risk patients rather than mandatory use in all patients.

Bile Duct Injury During Cholecystectomy: Necessity to Learn How to Do and Interpret Intraoperative Cholangiography

Introduction: Biliary duct injury (BDI) is a serious complication during cholecystectomy. Perioperative cholangiography (POC) has recently been generating interest in order to prevent BDI. However, the current literature (including randomized controlled trials) cannot conclude whether POC is protective or not against the risk of BDI. The aim of our study was to investigate whether POC could demonstrate earlier BDI and which criteria are required to make that diagnosis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study between 2005 and 2018 in our French tertiary referral center, which included all patients who had presented following BDI during cholecystectomy.

Results: Twenty-two patients were included. Nine patients had POC, whereas 13 did not. When executed, POC was interpreted as normal for three patients and abnormal for six. In this latter group, only two cases had a BDI diagnosed intraoperatively. In other cases, the interpretation was not adequate.

Conclusion: BDIs are rare but may reduce patients' quality of life. Our study highlights the surgeon's responsibility to learn how to perform and interpret POC in order to diagnose and manage BDIs and potentially avoid catastrophic consequences.

Efficacy of a Novel Cholangiogram Simulator for Training Laparoscopic Intraoperative Cholangiography

OBJECTIVE

Determine the efficacy of a novel low-cost, reusable simulator for training fundamental skills associated with safe and effective intraoperative cholangiography (IOC).

DESIGN

The simulator uses a balloon and retention suture tubing (representing the gallbladder, cystic duct, common bile duct, and common hepatic duct) attached to a piece of wood and placed in a laparoscopic trainer (representing the abdominal cavity) covered by a piece of simulated skin to obscure it. Following a tutorial on performing a simulated IOC using this, simulation participants independently completed a video-recorded simulated IOC and a post-training survey about the appearance and perceived usefulness of the IOC simulator as a training tool. Two experienced surgeons assessed participants' IOC performance using an IOC procedural checklist developed for this purpose. Procedural time (in seconds) was recorded and used as an additional measure of performance.

SETTING

The OhioHealth Learning Center simulation facility in the Department of Surgery at Riverside Methodist Hospital, a large tertiary care independent medical center that is part of the OhioHealth care system.

PARTICIPANTS

Eleven attending surgeons and 16 general surgery residents of different levels participated in the simulation. Two experienced surgeons assessed participants' IOC performance. One participated in the simulation along with the other 10 surgeons; the other did not.

RESULTS

High-experience participants completed more steps and spent less time than low-experience individuals; however, differences were not statistically significant. There was substantial agreement between the 2 observers regarding participants' performance. Participants scored the simulator as realistic and useful in teaching relevant steps associated with IOC.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite differences between high- and low-experience participants in steps completed and time spent, these results did not prove statistically significant. Additional studies to increase sample size are warranted to determine if significant differences exist. However, participants did generally find the simulator to be an effective training tool.

Fluorescent Cholangiography in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: An Updated Canadian Experience

Background. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is one of the most common general surgery procedures in Canada with approximately 100 000 cases performed per year. Bile duct injury remains a morbid complication with an incidence rate of 0.3% to 0.5%. Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescent cholangiography is a noninvasive technology aiding in real-time identification of biliary structures for safe dissection within Calot's triangle. The objectives were to provide an update to our initial experience with ICG aiding in the identification of biliary structures and ensuring that no adverse patient reactions occurred with ICG administration. Methods. Prospective case series from 2016 to 2018 for elective LC with ICG technology performed at a single academic teaching institution. Patient demographics, indications for operation, biliary structures visualized, amount of ICG used, operative times, and complications were recorded. Results. One hundred eight cases were included for review. The cystic duct, common hepatic duct, and common bile duct were identified with ICG in 90%, 48%, and 84% of cases, respectively. ICG simultaneously visualized at least 2 of 3 biliary structures 83.4% of the time. Only 1 biliary structure was identified in 10% of cases. No biliary structures were identified in 6% of cases. Mean initial ICG dose given was 1.65 mL. No adverse patient reactions to ICG were noted. Conclusions. This updated series illustrates that administration of ICG enhances visualization of the biliary system during outpatient LC. ICG is safe and its application should be further studied in early LC for acute cholecystitis.

Single-stage procedure for the treatment of cholecysto-choledocolithiasis: a surgical procedures review

While laparoscopic cholecystectomy is generally accepted as the treatment of choice for simple gallbladder stones, in cases in which common bile duct stones are also present, clinical and diagnostic elements, along with intraoperative findings, define the optimal means of treatment. All available options must be accessible to the surgical team which must necessarily be multidisciplinary and include a surgeon, an endoscopist, and a radiologist in order to identify the best option for a truly personalized surgery. This review describes the different techniques and approaches used based on distinctive recommendations and factors, according to the specific cases treated and the results achieved.

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: surgical management of acute cholecystitis: safe steps in laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis (with videos)

In some cases, laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) may be difficult to perform in patients with acute cholecystitis (AC) with severe inflammation and fibrosis. The Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18) expand the indications for LC under difficult conditions for each level of severity of AC. As a result of expanding the indications for LC to treat AC, it is absolutely necessary to avoid any increase in bile duct injury (BDI), particularly vasculo-biliary injury (VBI), which is known to occur at a certain rate in LC. Since the Tokyo Guidelines 2013 (TG13), an attempt has been made to assess intraoperative findings as objective indicators of surgical difficulty; based on expert consensus on these difficulty indicators, bail-out procedures (including conversion to open cholecystectomy) have been indicated for cases in which LC for AC is difficult to perform. A bail-out procedure should be chosen if, when the Calot's triangle is appropriately retracted and used as a landmark, a critical view of safety (CVS) cannot be achieved because of the presence of nondissectable scarring or severe fibrosis. We propose standardized safe steps for LC to treat AC. To achieve a CVS, it is vital to dissect at a location above (on the ventral side of) the imaginary line connecting the base of the left medial section (Segment 4) and the roof of Rouvière's sulcus and to fulfill the three criteria of CVS before dividing any structures. Achieving a CVS prevents the misidentification of the cystic duct and the common bile duct, which are most commonly confused. Free full articles and mobile app of TG18 are available at: http://www.jshbps.jp/modules/en/index.php?content_id=47. Related clinical questions and references are also included.

Delphi consensus on bile duct injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: an evolutionary cul-de-sac or the birth pangs of a new technical framework?

Bile duct injury (BDI) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy remains a serious iatrogenic surgical complication. BDI most often occurs as a result of misidentification of the anatomy; however, clinical evidence on its precise mechanism and surgeons' perceptions is scarce. Surgeons from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the USA, etc. (n = 614) participated in a questionnaire regarding their BDI experience and near-misses; and perceptions on landmarks, intraoperative findings, and surgical techniques. Respondents voted for a Delphi process and graded each item on a five-point scale. The consensus was built when ≥80% of overall responses were 4 or 5. Response rates for the first- and second-round Delphi were 60.6% and 74.9%, respectively. Misidentification of local anatomy accounted for 76.2% of BDI. Final consensus was reached on: (1) Effective retraction of the gallbladder, (2) Always obtaining critical view of safety, and (3) Avoiding excessive use of electrocautery/clipping as vital procedures; and (4) Calot's triangle area and (5) Critical view of safety as important landmarks. For (6) Impacted gallstone and (7) Severe fibrosis/scarring in Calot's triangle, bail-out procedures may be indicated. A consensus was reached among expert surgeons on relevant landmarks and intraoperative findings and appropriate surgical techniques to avoid BDI.

Laparoscopic ultrasonography as an alternative to intraoperative cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

AIM

To assess the role of laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS) as a substitute for intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) during cholecystectomy.

METHODS

We present a MEDLINE and PubMed literature search, having used the key-words “laparoscopic intraoperative ultrasound” and “laparoscopic cholecystectomy”. All relevant English language publications from 2000 to 2016 were identified, with data extracted for the role of LUS in the anatomical delineation of the biliary tract, detection of common bile duct stones (CBDS), prevention or early detection of biliary duct injury (BDI), and incidental findings during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Data for the role of LUS vs IOC in complex situations (i.e., inflammatory disease/fibrosis) were specifically analyzed.

RESULTS

We report data from eighteen reports, 13 prospective non-randomized trials, 5 retrospective trials, and two meta-analyses assessing diagnostic accuracy, with one analysis also assessing costs, duration of the examination, and anatomical mapping. Overall, LUS was shown to provide highly sensitive mapping of the extra-pancreatic biliary anatomy in 92%-100% of patients, with more difficulty encountered in delineation of the intra-pancreatic segment of the biliary tract (73.8%-98%). Identification of vascular and biliary variations has been documented in two studies. Although inflammatory disease hampered accuracy, LUS was still advantageous vs IOC in patients with obscured anatomy. LUS can be performed before any dissection and repeated at will to guide the surgeon especially when hilar mapping is difficult due to fibrosis and inflammation. In two studies LUS prevented conversion in 91% of patients with difficult scenarios. Considering CBDS detection, LUS sensitivity and specificity were 76%-100% and 96.2%-100%, respectively. LUS allowed the diagnosis/treatment of incidental findings of adjacent organs. No valuable data for BDI prevention or detection could be retrieved, even if no BDI was documented in the reports analyzed. Literature analysis proved LUS as a safe, quick, non-irradiating, cost-effective technique, which is comparatively well known although largely under-utilized, probably due to the perception of a difficult learning curve.

CONCLUSION

We highlight the advantages and limitations of laparoscopic ultrasound during cholecystectomy, and underline its value in difficult scenarios when the anatomy is obscured.

Prevention and acute management of biliary injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Expert consensus statement

Gallstone disease is very common and laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures all over the world. Parallel to the increase in the number of laparoscopic cholecystectomies, bile duct injuries also increased. The reported incidence of bile duct injuries ranges from 0.3% to 1.4%. Many of the bile duct injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy are not due to inexperience, but are the result of basic technical failures and misinterpretations. A working group of expert hepatopancreatobiliary surgeons, an endoscopist, and a specialist of forensic medicine study searched and analyzed the publications on safe cholecystectomy and biliary injuries complicating laparoscopic cholecystectomy under the organization of Turkish Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Association. After a series of e-mail communications and two conferences, the expert panel developed consensus statements for safe cholecystectomy, management of biliary injuries and medicolegal issues. The panel concluded that iatrogenic biliary injury is an overwhelming complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and an important issue in malpractice claims. Misidentification of the biliary system is the major cause of biliary injuries. To avoid this, the "critical view of safety" technique should be employed in all the cases. If biliary injury is identified intraoperatively, reconstruction should only be performed by experienced hepatobiliary surgeons. In the postoperative period, any deviation from the expected clinical course of recovery should alert the surgeon about the possibility of biliary injury.

Meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of laparoscopic ultrasonography and intraoperative cholangiography in detection of common bile duct stones

Introduction During laparoscopic cholecystectomy, intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) is currently regarded as the gold standard in the detection of choledocholithiasis. Laparoscopic ultrasonography (LUS) is an attractive alternative with several potential advantages. Methods A systematic review was undertaken of the published literature comparing LUS with IOC in the assessment of common bile duct (CBD) stones. Results Twenty-one comparative studies were analysed. There were 4,566 patients in the IOC group and 5,044 in the LUS group. The combined sensitivity and specificity of IOC in the detection of CBD stones were 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83-0.89) and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.98-0.98) respectively with a pooled area under the curve (AUC) of 0.985 and a diagnostic odds ratio (OR) of 260.65 (95% CI: 160.44-423.45). This compares with a sensitivity and specificity for LUS of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.87-0.92) and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.99-0.99) respectively with a pooled AUC of 0.982 and a diagnostic OR of 765.15 (95% CI: 450.78-1,298.76). LUS appeared to be more successful in terms of coming to a clinical decision regarding CBD stones than IOC (random effects, risk ratio: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.93-0.98, df=20, z=-3.7, p<0.005). Furthermore, LUS took less time (random effects, standardised mean difference: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.93-0.98, df=20, z=-3.7, p<0.005). Conclusions LUS is comparable with IOC in the detection of CBD stones. The main advantages of LUS are that it does not involve ionising radiation, is quicker to perform, has a lower failure rate and can be repeated during the procedure as required.

Effectiveness of intraoperative cholangiography using indocyanine green (versus contrast fluid) for the correct assessment of extrahepatic bile ducts during day-case laparoscopic cholecystectomy

INTRODUCTION

During cholecystectomy, intraoperative cholangiography using contrast fluid (IOC-CF) is still the "gold standard" for biliary tract identification but has many associated pitfalls. A new IOC technique using indocyanine green (IOC-IG) appears to be promising. Here, we studied the effectiveness of IOC-IG (vs IOC-CF) during day-case laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Over a 6-month period, we included 23 patients (with no cirrhosis or risk factors for choledocholithiasis) scheduled for day-case laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The primary efficacy criterion was the "analyzability rate" (i.e., the ability to identify the cystic duct, the cystic duct-hepatic duct junction, and the common bile duct) for the IOC-CF and IOC-IG procedures after dissection. Indocyanine green was infused under general anesthesia. The same near-infrared laparoscopic imaging system was used for IOC-IG and conventional visual inspection. IOC-CF was always attempted after dissection. Each patient served as his/her own control. Cholecystectomies were video-recorded for subsequent off-line, blind analysis.

RESULTS

The analyzability rate was 74 % for IOC-IG after dissection, 70 % for IOC-CF (p = 0.03), 26 % for conventional visual inspection, and 48 % for IOC-IG before dissection. When each IOC modality (conventional visual inspection, IOC-IG before and after dissection) was considered as a diagnostic test, the accuracy for simultaneous identification of the three anatomic elements was respectively 48, 52, and 74 %. No adverse events occurred during the IOC-IG procedure.

CONCLUSION

IOC-IG was feasible and safe. Our results suggest that this technique is more effective than IOC-CF for biliary tract identification after dissection and may constitute a powerful diagnostic test for the detection of extrahepatic ducts.