Collaborative Endoscopy and Interventional Treatment of Bile Duct Injuries

Bile duct injuries following laparoscopic cholecystectomy occur in up to 1% of cases. Most centers approach the treatment of these injuries on a case-by-case basis. Endoscopists, surgeons, and interventional radiologists all play a role but often do not work in concert. In the current large study, researchers assessed the effectiveness of a combined endoscopy/interventional radiology approach, the percutaneous-endoscopic rendezvous procedure, for treating complex bile duct injuries.

Among 812 patients treated for bile duct injury at one center over two decades, 47 (6%) underwent rendezvous procedures for complex injuries, two thirds of which were complete transections of the bile duct. The primary success rate was 94%, and procedure-related …