Indications and results of hepaticojejunostomy in benign strictures of the biliary tract.

The postoperative and late results of 99 patients with benign strictures of the biliary tract are presented. Patients were classified according to Bismuth into 24 cases with lesion type I, 36 cases with type II, 35 cases with type III and 4 patients with type IV. All were submitted to hepaticojejunostomy with a long Roux-en-Y loop. The etiology of the strictures varied according to the type of stricture. In patients of type I, inflammatory and iatrogenic causes were observed. Among type II and III patients, previous cholecytocholedochal fistulas were the main cause, together with accidental section or ligature of the common bile duct. Operative mortality was absent in strictures of types I and II, while it was around 25% in cases of types III and IV. At late control, the best results were seen among patients with strictures of types I and II. We believe that the main factor determining the early and late outcome of these cases with benign strictures is the location of the stricture and the quality of the proximal duct.