BILIARY LEAK - ENDOSCOPIC MANAGEMENT

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of endos copic treatment in patients with biliary leak. The study was performed at King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh. We used retrospective a nalysis of the complete records of 18 patients with biliary leak treat ed endoscopically over a period of 10 years. The mean age was 41.11 +/ - 14.54 years. Ten were male. The leak was complicating cholecystectom y, biliary surgery for hydatid cysts and road traffic accidents in 15, two, and one patient, respectively. The origin of the leak was the cy stic duct remnant in 11, common bile duct in three and intrahepatic du ct in four patients. Of the 17 patients who had endoscopic papillotomy (EPT), this procedure was combined with stenting in 11, with stone re trieval in two, with stone retrieval and stenting in three and with di latation of a structure in one patient. Another patient was treated wi th a stent without papillotomy. in all patients, the leak healed and t he stent was removed after a mean stenting duration of 65.12 +/- 41.89 days. No complications were encountered in this group of patients. En doscopic management of biliary leak is a simple, safe and effective th erapeutic method. Therefore, we recommend its application as first-lin e management of biliary leaks.