One hundred and thirty hepatic resections performed over an 8-year period were reviewed for evidence of postoperative intra-abdominal sepsis. Of 126 patients who survived for more than 24 hours after operation, 36 developed culture positive intra-abdominal collections (28.6%). Significant independent variables associated with the development of intra-abdominal sepsis were diagnoses of trauma or cholangiocarcinoma, and the need for reoperation to control hemorrhage during the postoperative period. Before 1984, infected fluid collections were treated predominantly by operative drainage, but this has largely been replaced by percutaneous methods, which have proven effective in most cases. Eighteen (50%) of the infections were caused by a mixed bacterial culture, with Streptococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli being the most common isolates. Six patients with clinical signs of sepsis had a sterile fluid collection drained with complete relief of symptoms. This review suggests that intra-abdominal sepsis is a frequent complication after hepatic resection, and can often be managed successfully by nonoperative percutaneous drainage.

vomiting in the early post-operative period. Seventy-nine patients (81%) were able to be discharged home within 4 to 6 hours of surgery, with only one patient requiring readmission to hospital because of the onset of nausea and vomiting. There were no post-operative complications attributable to the outpatient experience. We believe this approach to elective gallbladder pathology can be safely accomplished in selected patients and will be increasingly utilized in the future.

A patient with gallstone pancreatitis was managed by endoscopic sphincterotomy followed by a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. At the time of surgery, an intraoperative cholangiogram disclosed the presence of a residual calculus, which was erroneously thought to be in the common bile duct. A repeat ERCP showed that the stone was, in fact, in a long cystic duct stump which was fortunately accessible to endoscopic extraction.

No abstract