Ultrasonographic assessment of the risk of injury to branches of the middle hepatic vein during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background: Although hemorrhage from the gallbladder bed during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of main reasons for conversion to open cholecystectomy, the cause of this life-threatening complication is unclear.Patients and methods: Color Doppler ultrasound was used to examine the cause of venous hemorrhage from the gallbladder bed during laparoscopic cholecystectomy in 4 patients postoperatively and to examine the anatomic relationship between the gallbladder bed and branches of the middle hepatic vein in 50 healthy volunteers.Results: Injury to a large branch of the middle hepatic vein adjacent to the gallbladder bed was diagnosed in all 4 patients. One patient required conversion to open cholecystectomy while the bleeding in 2 patients was immediately controlled by direct pressure with the gallbladder. The branch of the middle hepatic vein was completely adherent to the gallbladder bed in 5 of the 50 volunteers, and in 1 the diameter of the branch was as large as 3.5 mm. In 3 volunteers branches 3.0 to 3.8 mm in diameter traversed as close as 1.0 mm from the gallbladder bed.Conclusions: Patients with large branches of the middle hepatic vein close to the gallbladder bed are at risk of hemorrhage during laparoscopic cholecystectomy and should be identified preoperatively with ultrasound. Copyright (C) 1999 Excerpta Medica Inc.