Long-term results after surgical treatment of iatrogenic injury of the bile ducts.

To find out the long term results of repair of iatrogenic bile duct injuries we carried out a retrospective analysis of 111 patients treated at the General and Abdominal Surgery clinics of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz between 1 January 1964 and 31 December 1987. In 72 of the 111 patients (65%) reliable data were obtained about the course of the disease over a mean period of 9.4 years. Long term results depended on the site of the stenosis, and the number and type of operations. The number of operations depended on whether the injury was immediately recognised, and was higher in this type of repair.