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Case Reports
. 2022 Aug 26;14(8):e28427.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.28427. eCollection 2022 Aug.

Bile Leak Due to Luschka Duct Injury After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Case Report

Sophia Garcia  1 , Arturo M Concepción  1 , Cesar Wakoff  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Bile Leak Due to Luschka Duct Injury After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Case Report

Sophia Garcia et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Bile leak is a common complication after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Anatomical variations in the biliary tree can go unnoticed by the surgical team and cause complications such as this. This case report presents a patient admitted to the emergency department a week after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to abdominal pain and nausea. After a computed tomography, the patient was brought to the operating room for an exploratory laparoscopy, where an injured Luschka duct was found. The biliary tree has many variations that the surgeon should be aware of to minimize the risk of complications of this nature after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There are imagining techniques with various grades of effectiveness, but in the end, the surgeon's expertise and experience are the main factors in avoiding these complications.

Keywords: bile leak; biliary tree; complications; laparoscopic cholecystectomy; luschka duct; luschka duct injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. CT scan of the abdomen
The image shows a small amount of liquid collected on the hepatic bed, extending medially adjacent to the VI hepatic segment (marked by the blue arrow).
Figure 2
Figure 2. CT scan of the pelvis
The image shows a moderate collection of liquid on the pelvis (marked by the blue arrow).
Figure 3
Figure 3. Laparoscopic view of the Luschka duct
The image shows the hepatic bed with the remaining Luschka duct leaking bile (marked by the blue arrow).
Figure 4
Figure 4. Laparoscopic view of the closed Luschka duct
The image shows the Luschka duct after being closed during surgery (marked by the blue arrow).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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