Bile Duct Leak After Liver Surgery

Leakage in bile duct can occur as a result of postoperative complication after removal of gall bladder or after liver transplantation.

Bile duct leak after liver surgery.

Bile leaks that may result from cholecystectomy have been described by mckenzie and by foster and wayson and are caused by a slipped cystic duct ligature or a leak from an accessory or anomalous bile duct. At the bile duct and pancreatic diseases program part of the university of michigan s division of gastroenterology our multidisciplinary team provides the newest minimally invasive treatments for bile duct leaks. A small hole or tear in the bile duct may cause bile to leak into the abdomen causing pain inflammation and infection in the abdominal cavity. A small hole anywhere along the bile ducts can cause bile to leak into the abdominal cavity.

Those resulting from hepatic surgery are caused by a leak from a biliary anastomotic site dislodgement or removal of an external drainage tube or damage to a bile duct during surgery. A bile duct leak can arise either as a complication of a surgery such as gallbladder removal or liver transplant or from trauma to the biliary system. Leakage occurs as a result of a small tear or a hole anywhere in the bile duct. Bile leaks are often corrected by placing a stent narrow tube in the duct to keep bile from escaping while the duct heals.

If a bile duct is damaged during surgery bile may leak into the abdominal cavity causing extreme pain. In addition the digestive process suffers because the proper amounts of bile are not being delivered to break down fats that are consumed.