01-04-2017 | How I do it
Biliary Duct-to-Duct Reconstruction with a Tunneled Retroperitoneal T-Tube During Liver Transplantation: a Novel Approach to Decrease Biliary Leaks After T-Tube Removal
Published in: Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery | Issue 4/2017
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The benefit of placing a T-tube for duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) remains controversial because it could be associated with specific complications, especially at the time of T-tube removal. While the utility of T-tube during OLT represents an eternal debate, only a few technical refinements of T-tube placement have been described since the report of the original technique by Starzl and colleagues. Herein, we present a novel technique of T-tube placement for duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction during OLT, using a tunneled retroperitoneal route. On the basis of our experience of 305 patients who benefitted from the reported technique, the placement of a tunneled retroperitoneal biliary T-tube appears to be safe and results in a low rate of biliary complications, especially at the time of T-tube removal.