Dr. Somak Das

The purpose of this study is to report our experience in patients with choledochal cyst (CDC) and to evaluate whether there is any difference in the clinical presentation, cyst -related complications, and long-term biliary outcomes after surgery among children and adults. All the patients who underwent CDC excision between January 2008 and December 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: children (< 18 years) and adults (≥ 18 years). There were 329 patients with CDC excision (77.5% were female, adult/children = 251/78). Abdominal pain was the predominant presenting symptom in both groups. Abdominal lump (10.3% vs 3.2%; p = 0.011) and the triad of CDC (9% vs 2.4%; p = 0.009) were more common in children. But, the preoperative biliary intervention (37.8% vs 15.4%; p =  < 0.001), previous biliary surgery (32.7% vs 3.8%; p =  < 0.001), and prevalence of gallstones (36.7% vs 3.8%; p =  < 0.001), cystolithiasis (56.6% vs 38.5%; p = 0.005), and intrahepatic stones (7.6% vs 1.3%; p = 0.054) were more common in adults. Most patients were presented with type I CDC (71.4%). Extrahepatic bile duct excision with Roux en-Y hepaticojejunostomy was performed in all the patients. Although overall postoperative complications were comparable between adults and children (31.1% vs 26.9%; p = 0.485), wound infection was more common in adults (19.9% vs 6.4%; p = 0.005) and bile leak was more common in children (12.8% vs 5.2%; p = 0.021). There was no operative mortality. Over a mean follow-up of 59 (40) months, 2 patients (0.78%) developed malignancy. Excellent or good Long-term biliary outcome was significantly better in children than adults (98.1% vs 90.5%; p = 0.010). Independent predictors for unsatisfactory biliary outcomes were type IVA cysts, postoperative bile leak, adult patients, and longer duration of follow-up. In conclusion, presentation and cyst-related complications differ between adults and children. Surgery offers excellent results in the vast majority of patients. Long-term biliary complications were more in adults. Long-term follow-up is recommended for the possibility of future development of hepato-biliary-pancreatic malignancy and delayed biliary complications.

Backgrounds/Aims: Extra hepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO) is the most common cause of portal hypertension in Indian children. While endoscopy is the primary modality of management, a subset of patients require surgery. This study aims to report the short- and long-term outcomes of EHPVO patients managed surgically. Methods: All the patients with EHPVO who underwent surgery between August 2007 and December 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Postoperative complications were classified after Clavien–Dindo. Binary logistic regression in Wald methodology was used to determine the predictive factors responsible for unfavourable outcome. Results: Total of 202 patients with EHPVO were operated. Mean age of patients was 20.30 ± 9.96 years, and duration of illness, 90.05 ± 75.13 months. Most common indication for surgery was portal biliopathy (n = 59, 29.2%), followed by bleeding (n = 50, 24.8%). Total of 166 patients (82.2%) had shunt procedure. Splenectomy with esophagogastric devascularization was the second most common surgery (n = 20, 9.9%). Nine major postoperative complications (Clavien–Dindo > 3) were observed in 8 patients (4.0%), including 1 (0.5%) operative death. After a median follow-up of 56 months (15−156 months), 166 patients (82.2%) had favourable outcome. In multivariate analysis, associated splenic artery aneurysm (p = 0.007), isolated gastric varices (p = 0.004), preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and stenting (p = 0.015), and shunt occlusion (p < 0.001) were independent predictors of unfavourable long-term outcome. Conclusions: Surgery in EHPVO is safe, affords excellent short- and long-term outcome in patients with symptomatic EHPVO, and may be considered for secondary prophylaxis.