HPB surgery Flashcards
What are the components of bile?
Cholesterol, phospholipids, bile salts, water and conjugated bilirubin
What is the action of bile salts?
Act to break up and emulsify fats in the gut, and are enterohepatically recycled to be secreted once more into the bile
Where is bile made/stored?
Made in the liver
Flows into the gall bladder if the sphincter of Oddi is closed, where it becomes more concentrated as water is absorbed
What does presence of fatty acids in the duodenum lead to?
Release of CCK, which causes the gallbladder to contract and bile to be released
What is cholelithiasis?
Formation of stones in the gallbladder
What are the risk factors for stone formation?
Female - 90% Fair Fat Forty Fertile
DM
Ileal disease: disease of the ileum prevents bile salt reabsorption
Liver cirrhosis
What do bile pigment stones contain?
Calcium bilirubinate - form independently of cholesterol stones
Black pigment stones = associated with haemolytic conditions
Brown pigment gallstones occur due to biliary stasis / infection, and are a common causes of recurrent bile stones following cholecystectomy
Draw out biliary anatomy
Wot r u waiting for, go draw bitch
What is biliary colic?
Intermittent right upper quadrant pain caused by gallstones irritating bile ducts
Can lead to mucocoele (stone stuck in Hartman’s pouch) ((and empyema if infected))in obstruction of an empty gallbladder which continues to produce mucin
What is choledocholithiasis?
Stone impaction in the common bile duct, which can cause biliary colic if temporary, or painful jaundice if more prolonged
Can predispose to ascending cholangitis/acute pancreatitis
What is Mirizzi’s syndrome?
Gallstone impacted in the cystic duct / Hartman’s pouch
(at the neck of the gall bladder) and causes extrinsic compression of the common hepatic duct
This leads to obstructive jaundice without dilation of the cystic/common bile duct
What is Gallstone ileus?
uncommon condition where a large gallstone erodes through to the gall bladder lumen to create a fistula into the adjacent duodenum
This can produce an obstruction if it impacts in a narrow segment of bowel
What are the x ray signs of gallstone ileus?
Signs of small bowel obstruction
Gallstone may be visible and there will be air in the biliary tree (Aerobilia)
Describe the presentation of biliary colic?
Severe constant epigastric / RUQ pain - CRESCENDO characteristic (peaks 2 hours after eating) due to CCK peak at this time
May radiate to back aright shoulder
+/- N+V
Worse with food consumption, especially fatty foods
Worst mid evening
Cessation = spontaneous / opiates
Systemically well
What is cholecystitis?
Inflammation of the gallbladder - an obstruction of gall bladder emptying leading to gall bladder distension
Ongoing water reabsorption from retained bile which becomes highly concentrated, leading to secondary inflammatory response in the wall of the gall bladder
30% = superadded infection
What are the features of cholecystitis?
Severe localised RUQ pain (as inflamed GB touches peritoneum) with guarding and rigidity
Vomiting and systemic: fever
Murphy’s sign positive - palpable gall bladder
RUQ tenderness exacerbated by deep inspiration
Place hand in RUQ and apply pressure
Ask patient to take deep breath in
Gallbladder will move downwards under your hand and cause pain
What is a rare complication of acute cholecystitis?
Gallbladder becomes gangrenous and perforates, leading to generalised peritonitis
What is chronic cholecystitis?
Repeated episodes of inflammation due to gallstones leading to fibrosis and thickening of the gall bladder wall
Recurrent bouts of abdominal pain due to mild cholecystitis
Discomfort and flatulence after fatty meals
What is the presentation choledocholithiasis?
(gallstones in the common bile duct)
Obstructive jaundice and biliary colic
Attacks last for hours-days, ceasing when the stone passes through the sphincter of Oddi or disimpacts and fallback into the dilated common duct
If obstruction not relieved, the chronic back pressure can lead to secondary biliary cirrhosis and liver failure
What is Courvoisier’s law?
If in the presence of jaundice, the gallbladder if palpable, then the jaundice is unlikely to be due to a stone
Why does Courvoisier’s law exist?
Because stones lead to fibrosis of the gall bladder meaning it does not fully distend, and obstruction due to stones is rarely complete, so there can be some drainage of the bile and decompression of the gall bladder
More commonly: carcinoma in the head of the pancreas
What is ascending cholangitis?
Infection the common bile duct, which usually occurs following obstruction due to choledocholithiasis
What are the symptoms of ascending cholangitis?
Charcot’s triad:
Obstructive jaundice
High fever (+/- rigors)
RUQ pain
Duct system is severely inflamed and the liver may be dotted with multiple small abscesses. These patients are very unwell and should be managed aggressively (10% mortality)
What blood tests are used in the diagnosis of gallstones?
WBC / inflammatory markers - cholecystitis
LFTs: marginally deranged in cholecystitis, significant derangement and obstructive jaundice type picture in common bile duct obstruction: AST/ALT bit raised, ALP over 330
Amylase: assess for pancreatitis (often mildly elevated in gallstone disease)
Prothrombin time
What is the first line imaging of biliary disease?
USS
Acute cholecystitis: thickened gallbladder wall, stones / sludge in gallbladder and fluid around the gallbladder
Gallstones in the gallbladder
Gallstones in the ducts
Bile Duct Dilatation (Upper limit of normal is 6mm plus 1mm for every decade after 60)
What is the second step up after USS for gallbladder disease?
MRCP
Indicated if USS doesn’t show ductal stones but the is bile duct dilitation or raised bilirubin
An MRI scan that produces detailed image of the biliary system
Very sensitive and specific for biliary tree diseases (e.g. ductal stones / malignancy)
Stepwise progression for biliary disease ix?
USS
MRCP
ERCP
Cholecystectomy
What is the management of asymptomatic gallstones?
Cholecystectomy only indicated if the patient is at significant risk of complications due to co-morbidities
e.g. diabetes or chronic renal failure
Young patients may also fit criteria
What is the management of biliary colic?
Admit - bed rest, fluid and analgesia (NBM)
Elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy
‘hot’ (within 72 hours) or ‘cold’ - 6 weeks later
What are the complications of cholecystectomy?
Bile leakage or jaundice due to ductal injury or missed stones in the common bile duct
Intolerance to fatty meals/chronic diarrhoea