What is a cystic duct leak?

What is a cystic duct leak?

Bile leak is defined as a persistent leakage of bile into the peritoneal cavity or through the drain, if present. The main causes of bile leak include cystic duct stump leak (CDSL), injury to major bile ducts, injury to the duodenum or leaking from duct of Luschka.

What is remnant cystic duct?

Cystic duct remnant, defined as a residual duct greater than 1 cm in length, may, in the presence of stones, cause post-cholecystectomy syndrome. In this report, 4 patients with post-cholecystectomy syndrome due to cystic duct remnant are described.

Do bile duct leaks heal themselves?

Using sufficient percutaneous drainage of the biloma cavity and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP) with sphincterotomy and/or stenting, the cure rate of bile leaks is greater than 90%. In very rare cases, all of these measures remain unsuccessful.

What is an ERCP with sphincterotomy?

The most common ERCP treatments are: Sphincterotomy — This involves making a small cut in the papilla of Vater to enlarge the opening of the bile duct and/or pancreatic duct. This is done to improve the drainage or to remove stones in the ducts.

Is the cystic duct removed with gallbladder?

The vessels and tubes (cystic duct and artery) to and from the gallbladder are cut and the gallbladder is removed. The tube (common bile duct) that drains the digestive fluid (bile) from the liver to the small intestine (duodenum) is examined for blockages or stones.

What happens to the cystic duct when the gallbladder is removed?

Biliary causes of PCS have increased over a few decades after the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This is because of the practice of ligating the cystic duct close the gall bladder to avoid CBD injury. In open cholecystectomy, the cystic duct is ligated as close to the CBD as possible.

How long can you live with a bile leak?

Mortality analysis Patients with a bile leak were more likely to die at 1 year (2.4% vs 1.4%; p < 0.001) and 3 years (5.8% vs 4.8%; p < 0.05) when compared with patients without a bile leak (Fig.

How do you treat a bile duct leak?

Bile leaks are usually treated by placing a temporary stent in the bile duct during an ERCP. During an ERCP your doctor places a thin, flexible tube down your esophagus, stomach and the first part of the small bowel to access the bile ducts. Your doctor will then place a stent to help improve the drainage of bile.

How long can you live with a bile duct leak?

Death from obstructive jaundice in the first few weeks of its course is quite rare and is only occasionally observed. After a period varying from four to six months, however, patients suffering from occlusion of the common bile duct usually deteriorate rapidly and die.

Why is it called cystic duct?

The cystic duct is the short duct that joins the gallbladder to the common hepatic duct. It usually lies next to the cystic artery. It is of variable length.