Laparoscopic surgery for congenital biliary dilatation: a single-institution experience

Purpose: Laparoscopic surgery as a treatment for congenital biliary dilatation is uncommon. We herein present a series of laparoscopic surgeries for congenital biliary dilatation performed in our institution and review our experience with this approach over a long period of time. Methods: Medical records of 36 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for congenital biliary dilatation from 1996 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Data on patient demographics, operative time, blood loss, hospital stay, and complications were evaluated. A comparison between the former period (Group A, 1996–2005) and the latter period (Group B, 2006–2015) was performed. Results: The patients comprised 23 females and 13 males with a median age of 34 years. The median operative time, blood loss, and hospital stay was 493 min, 154 g, and 11 days, respectively. Total early and late complications occurred in 7 (19%) and 2 (5%) patients, respectively. A comparison between Groups A and B revealed no significant difference in operative time or complications, but operative blood loss, open conversion, and hospital stay were significantly lower in Group B than in Group A (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery for congenital biliary dilatation is feasible and provides acceptable results. Further prospective studies of larger numbers of patients are needed.