Laparoscopic choledochal cyst resection with simplified common bile duct reconstruction in an adult population: A case series

Introduction: Choledochal cysts (CC) are rare congenital pathology in adult population. Since 1995, laparoscopic management has been described for this entity. Nevertheless, its management is considered to be a controversial matter due to the augmented risk of associated cholangiocarcinoma. Materials and methods: A retrospective, observational, and descriptive study was conducted considering patients diagnosed with CC who were operated at a hepatobiliary surgery referral center from January 2013 to June 2018. Patients were taken to simplified laparoscopic hepaticojejunostomy with a Roux-en-Y reconstruction. A retrospective analysis of the data obtained is presented. Results: Ten adult patients with CC underwent surgical biliary reconstruction at a mean age of 34.5 years; 75% had Todani type I CC and 25% Todani type IV-B CC. About 50% of the patients were diagnosed via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and 50% of them via magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. None required re-intervention, no mortality was reported; and the mean hospital stay was 5 days, no patient had postoperative biliary leakage, none was converted to open surgery, and all patients had adequate oral feeding tolerance 2 days postoperative. Long-term follow-up showed no incidence of cholangiocarcinoma after 2-year follow-up. Conclusion: Choledochal cysts in adults is a rare pathology that has a high probability of developing malignancy when not adequately surgically managed and because of secondary bile reflux. These factors make surgical management a critical decision. The simplified laparoscopic approach presented in this paper seems to be an effective and safe alternative to biliary duct reconstructive surgery.