The role of endoscopic procedures in the management of postcholecystectomy and posttraumatic biliary leak

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an important tool in the evaluation of the biliary system. It not only diagnoses the site of biliary leak following bile duct injury, but it also acts as a therapeutic modality to allow interventional procedures such as sphincterotomy, nasobiliary drainage, or stent placement to be performed. The present study was carried out to evaluate the role of endoscopic management of biliary leak, following either liver trauma or cholecystectomy. Of a total 21 patients with bile leak following liver trauma and biliary surgery, 20 were managed by various endoscopic procedures. In the postcholecystectomy group, ERCP revealed a cystic duct leak in 9 patients and common bile duct injury in 6 patients. These complications were managed by sphincterotomy alone in 2 patients, by nasobiliary drainage alone in 4 patients, by sphincterotomy and nasobiliary drainage in 8 patients, and by sphincterotomy and stent placement in 1 patient. Posttraumatic biliary fistula was successfully managed by performing sphincterotomy followed by the placement of nasobiliary drainage in all of five patients who had suffered trauma injury.