Reoperation for congenital choledochal cyst.

A reoperation after excisional procedure was carried out in seven cases due to early or late postoperative complications. Of the 12 patients with early complications, four underwent relaparotomy due to anastomotic leakage and bleeding. Late complications were seen in nine patients with recurrent cholangitis caused by an anastomotic stricture, and three patients with intrahepatic involvement required a reoperation several years after the initial surgery. Recurrent cholangitis after biliary reconstruction mainly occurs due to an anastomotic stricture of the hepaticoenterostomy. There was no significant difference in the results between hepaticoduodenostomy and hepaticojejunostomy over a long follow-up period. A wide anastomotic stoma that permits free drainage of bile into the intestine is imperative to the prevention of cholangitis, and can be created by an incision extending along the lateral wall of both the hepatic ducts with a hepaticoenterostomy at the hilum. This procedure is obviously necessary in all patients with or without intrahepatic involvement. Carcinoma of the intrahepatic ducts and the retained distal choledochus have rarely developed in patients undergoing cyst excision followed by biliary reconstruction. Complete excision of the whole extrahepatic bile duct could prevent carcinoma arising in the distal choledochus, although it could not prevent carcinoma arising from the intrahepatic ducts. However, patients with carcinoma of the intrahepatic duct were reported to have had symptoms of biliary stricture for a long time since the cyst excision. Bile stagnation in the intrahepatic ducts is possibly responsible for the development of carcinoma. A wide anastomosis resulting in free drainage of bile appears to be essential to the prevention of carcinoma arising in the intrahepatic ducts after cyst excision.