Reoperation for biliary tract complications following orthotopic liver transplantation

Biliary tract complications were analysed after 54 orthotopic liver transplantations performed in 49 patients over a 2‐year period. Reconstruction of the bile duct consisted of end‐to‐end choledochocholedochostomy over a T tube in 47 cases and Roux‐en‐Y choledochojejunostomy in seven (two for sclerosing cholangitis, one for secondary biliary cirrhosis, four retransplants). The T tube was withdrawn 12–16 weeks after operation in all but two patients (2–3 weeks). There was no intraoperative mortality. Eight patients (16 per cent) died during the first month and the 1‐year actuarial survival rate was 75 per cent. Early biliary complications (up to 3 months after operation) consisted of five bilomas, for which ultrasonographically guided drainage was effective in three and surgical drainage necessary in two. Late biliary complications (3 months onwards) consisted of biliary peritonitis following T tube removal (four patients; reoperation was required in all four) and necrosis of the bile duct secondary to a late arterial thrombosis (one). The incidence of reoperation as a result of early biliary complications was low (two patients), but higher for biliary peritonitis following T tube removal.