Open Cholecystectomy for Gallstone Disease
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Gallstone disease is one of the most common disorders affecting the digestive tract. Most individuals with gallstones are asymptomatic and do not require treatment. For symptomatic patients, however, cholecystectomy is recommended. Cholecystectomy is one of the most common abdominal surgeries performed worldwide. Indications include moderate-to-severe symptoms, stones obstructing the bile duct, gallbladder inflammation, large gallbladder polyps, and pancreatic inflammation due to gallstones. Here, we report the case of a 53-year-old male with stones in his biliary duct. Despite having uncomplicated disease, the patient was treated with a primary open cholecystectomy because laparoscopy was not available.
Gallstones are solid masses formed by bile precipitates and form in the gallbladder or bile ducts. The prevalence of gallstones is related to many factors, including diet, age, gender, BMI, and ethnic background. Women are more likely to develop gallstones than are men, and first-degree relatives of patients with gallstones are at increased risk, possibly indicating a genetic predisposition. There are two main types of gallstones: cholesterol and pigment.1 Cholesterol stones account for 80% of all gallstones and are formed from supersaturation of bile with cholesterol. Pigment stones are typically formed in conditions of stasis. Most individuals with gallstones remain symptom free; however, if a gallstone lodges in a duct and causes obstructions, there may be symptoms such as right upper quadrant or epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and fever. Ultrasonography or computed tomography are used to visualize the stones in the gallbladder, while magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography can better visualize stones within the bile ducts.
A 53-year-old male presented with a 1-year history of recurrent right upper quadrant pain that radiated to the back. Ultrasound revealed a non-thickened gallbladder with presence of intraluminal stones. The liver was normal and biliary ducts were not dilated. Surgical removal of the patient’s diseased gallbladder and stone was indicated because of recurrent bouts of biliary colic.
Classic biliary colic is characterized by constant right upper quadrant or epigastric pain lasting 20 minutes to 3 hours. Up to 60% of patients with biliary colic complain of pain that radiates to the right shoulder pain or back, as in our patient. Typical time of onset is more than 1 hour after eating, often at night. The pain is not relieved by position changes or by evacuation of the bowels.1
The imaging modality of choice is transabdominal ultrasound, which has a sensitivity as high as 89% and a specificity of 99%.2 If there is a discrepancy between the clinical diagnosis of acute cholecystitis and the ultrasound findings, scintigraphy of the biliary tract may be performed using technetium-labeled hydroxyiminodiacetic acid. Scintigraphy is more sensitive than ultrasound (97% vs 89%) and has equivalent specificity.
Regardless of whether the patient has symptoms, between 1–3% of individuals with gallstones will experience complications. These include acute and chronic cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, acute cholangitis, acute pancreatitis, empyema in the gallbladder, obstructive jaundice, choledochoduodenal fistula, and gallbladder perforation.1
Patients with symptomatic gallstones are usually treated surgically, whereas those with asymptomatic disease may be treated expectantly. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the procedure of choice in places in the developed world. Primary open cholecystectomy is performed in areas of the world where laparoscopic procedures are not often performed because of lack of availability of proper equipment or because of costs, as was the case with our patient.
The primary reason to perform cholecystectomy is to prevent the complications referenced above. A secondary rationale is prevention of recurrent bouts of biliary colic, as was the case with our patient. Most patients with histories of biliary pain are likely to experience recurrences.
The contraindications to open cholecystectomy are limited to severe physiological derangements or conditions that preclude administration of general anesthesia.
We present a patient who had right upper quadrant pain radiating to the back lasting more than a year. On ultrasound, the patient was noted to have gallstones, and an open cholecystectomy was performed because he lives in the rural Philippines and cannot afford the more expensive laparoscopic procedure that could be performed in an urban area.
Cholecystectomy is the removal of a diseased gallbladder, performed through an open or laparoscopic approach. Open cholecystectomy is performed through an incision on the right side under the rib cage. Open cholecystectomy was first performed in 1882 by Carl August Langenbuc.3 It used to be the mainstay of treatment of gallstones; however, there has been a gradual shift in the treatment since the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which was first performed by Philippe Mouret in Lyon, France.4-6 Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is currently considered the gold standard treatment for gallstones because of reduced pain, faster return to activity, and shorter length of hospital stay.7 However, patients with hemodynamic instability, uncontrolled coagulopathy, frank peritonitis, severe obstructive pulmonary disease, or congestive heart failure may not tolerate the increased intra-abdominal pressures of pneumoperitoneum; these are contraindications that may require open cholecystectomy. Acute cholecystitis, gangrene, and empyema of the gallbladder used to be relative contraindications to laparoscopic cholecystectomy; however, they are now considered risk factors for a potentially difficult cholecystectomy and do not preclude an attempt at laparoscopy.
In the laparoscopic era, primary open cholecystectomy for uncomplicated gallbladder disease may be becoming a lost art. Nevertheless, surgeons should become familiar with the technique, particularly for treatment of patients with contraindications to laparoscopic procedures.
Standard equipment.
Nothing to disclose.
The patient referred to in this video article has given their informed consent to be filmed and is aware that information and images will be published online.
World Surgical Foundation.
Citations
- Ibrahim MO, Sarvepalli SH, Morris-Stiff G, et al. Gallstones: watch and wait, or intervene. Clevel Clin J Med. 2018;85:323-31. doi:10.3949/ccjm.85a.17035.
- Shea JA, Berlin JA, Escarce JJ, et al. Revised estimates of diagnostic test sensitivity and specificity in suspected biliary tract disease. Arch Intern Med. 1994;:2573–2581. doi:10.1001/archinte.1994.00420220069008.
- Gadacz TR, Talamini MA. Traditional versus laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Am J Surg. 1999;161:336-8. doi:10.1016/0002-9610(91)90591-Z.
- McSherry CK. Open cholecystectomy. Am J Surg. 1993;165:435-9. doi:10.1016/s0002-9610(05)80936-5.
- Ji W, Li LT, Li JS. Role of laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy in the treatment of complicated cholecystitis. Hepatobilpancreat Dis Int. 2006;5(4):584-9.
- Cuschieri A. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. J R Coll Surg Edinb. 1999;44:187-92.
- Strasberg SM. Clinical practice acute, calculus cholecystitis. N Engl J Med. 2011;358(26):2804. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp0800929.
Cite this article
Soledad L, Jayma E, Carpio T. Open cholecystectomy for gallstone disease. J Med Insight. 2023;2023(278.3). doi:10.24296/jomi/278.3.
Procedure Outline
Table of Contents
Transcription
CHAPTER 1
So we were presented with a 53-year-old male, who was complaining of right upperquadrant pains, beginning since last year.Now the pain was recurrent,and was radiating to the back.From his history, it seems that the probleminvolving- is involving your hepatobiliary area, so we...Workup was done, specifically an ultrasound, which revealed intraluminal gallstones.The liver was normal, intrahepatic ducts were not dilated,the gallbladder was particularly not thickened. So we had a case ofacute cholecystitis, and when we received the patient,the patient was in a remission state.The recommended procedure for this patient, treatment, is tohave your gallbladder removed. It's the organ thatmade the gallstones,and if we only take out the gallstones,the gallbladder will continue producing gallstones.So removal of the gallbladder is the standard operative procedure of choice.Now thestandard procedure nowadays involves open cholecystectomies where youcut the abdomen from the right upper quadrant,and we have another procedure, which we call laparoscopic.The approach is different since we have smaller incisions-you can have 2, 3, or 4 small incisions,but the procedure remains the same, you still take out the entire gallbladder.In the urban setting,most patients are exposed to these offers, but in the rural setting,some centers do not have these equipment- the laparoscopic machines.And also, it's quite costly.So, people living in the rural areas could really not afford to have these moreexpensive procedures done. At any rate, like I mentioned earlier,the procedure is still the same, you end up with a removed gallbladder.
CHAPTER 2
All right. Cutting.Welcome everyone.For today, we'll be discussing a case of open cholecystectomy.So, I am Dr. Jun Soledad, surgeon is Dr. Enrico Jayma, and with us,is our first assist- sorry, secondassist, Dr. Ted Carpio.
CHAPTER 3
We are presented with a 53-year-old male, with a 1-year history of recurrentright upper quadrant pains. On workup-abdominal ultrasound was done, which revealedpresence of intraluminal stones in his gallbladder.There were no evidence of thickened walls anddilated ducts, intrahepatic and otherwise.Since the pain has been recurrent,he's advised to undergo removal of the gallbladder.So we begin the procedure by cutting through the right upper quadrant,making an oblique incision.So from the skin, we pass through the subcutaneous fat layer.We are now at the level of your anterior rectus sheath.Beneath that is your rectus abdominis muscle.So we will be accessing the abdominal cavity through the right upper quadrant.We are presently dissecting and separating, or cutting away the part of yourrectus abdominis muscle.Depending on the patient's habitus and lifestyle, the rectus abdominismuscle can be thick or thin.Since we have a male patient,we expect this to be somewhat muscular, as you can very well see.Beneath this muscle is your posterior rectus sheath and then yourinternal oblique muscle.Sorry.Now the trick is to open the abdomen from the medial-most end of the incision.That way you will be accessing your falciform ligament and preventing oravoiding possible injuriesto the internal organs as you begin thepenetration into the cavity. Mosquito.Here you see the cavity has already been opened,this is your falciform ligament, your internal oblique muscle.The incision is made around one to two fingerbreadths from the rib cage orsubcostal margin.DeBakey.On initial inspection, you see the liver edge here,the sharp border of the liver,you have her gallbladder beneath it with the fundus looking out.And inferior to that would be parts of your omentum and the end colon.So, we'll be pushing the coloncaudally, and we'll keep it away using a wide Deaver.Or you can also use a malleable for- in this case.We shall also be retracting the duodenumtowards the medial aspect or towards the midline.Now here is your gallbladder, fat-laden gallbladder.The liver appears to be healthy with no nodulations.The surface is smooth.
CHAPTER 4
Narrow Deaver. With the use of a narrow Deaver,we retract your duodenum towards the medial aspect. Ted, could you hold?So, the goal is to initially-find your cystic artery and ligate it.The procedure is less bloody when you dissect the gallbladder from the liver.We are now dissecting the area of your cystic duct and common bile duct, aboutthe Hartmann's pouch.The cystic artery is a branch off your right hepatic artery.The cystic artery is accessed about the area of your cystic duct. DeBakey.There you go.Pickup.Pickup.We have just clamped your cystic artery,and we're about to divide and ligate it.Metz, please.So, the cystic artery is the blood supply of your gallbladder.Release. Yep.Around three of four throws.
CHAPTER 5
Now once this is done, we can begindissecting your gallbladder from the liver bed.So the trick also lies in the proper application of your retractors.This is your gallbladder fundus- as defined,it's the area of the gallbladder that is peeking outfrom the liver edge.It's approximate location is at the midclavicular line, on the right.Similar to all the other abdominal organs,your gallbladder is surrounded by a peritoneum,except at a certain area whereit is directly intimately, or intimately related to the liver,and we call that the bare area. Now Dr. Jayma isnow dissecting the peritoneal covering of your gallbladder.CauterySo, at this point, we're just taking down the gallbladder.Transferring from the medial to the lateral aspect, back and forth.Now this can be very difficult sometimes,especially if you have an acutely inflamed gallbladder.Now if the cystic artery has not been litigated initially,this procedure can be- sometimes be bloody.You might encounter a certain amount of hemorrhaging.Pinch, burn. There.Sometimes when the gallbladder is too distended, like in cases of hydrops,we sometimes drain what's inside.Initially.So the gallbladder is decompressed.So as you can see,we encounter less hemorrhaging, since we were able to initially ligate thecystic artery. This posteriorside of the gallbladder is what we call the bare area, it'sthis part, which is intimately related to your liver, directly attached to it,occupying the gallbladder fossa of the liver.Now we are about to finish dissecting the gallbladder from the liver,just a few more peritoneal attachments.Mosquito.Now this is quite an easy procedure for Dr. Jayma,as he has done many open cholecystectomies before.We'll keep on dissecting until the gallbladder is left hanging by the cystic duct.
CHAPTER 6
Buzz.Ligate.Mixter.That is your cystic vein, and we shall be ligating it also.Metz. Tie.Release.
CHAPTER 7
So Dr. Jayma is now just peeling off-the adipose tissue surrounding the cystic duct and Hartmann's pouch.Good, good.Buzz.All right.Cautery.So this is now the fundus, the body. You have here your,your Hartmann's pouch, and beyond that would be your cystic duct.Your common bile duct is hidden away by this adipose tissue.So Dr. Jayma is now looking foran area where he can clamp the cystic duct andtake out the gallbladder.There.Now once he's-once he's satisfied with his clamp,he can now remove the gallbladder.Good.Metz.Now that is your gallbladder.We shall be inspecting the organ after the patient has been closed.He's now applying ligature to the cystic duct.Before completely cutting the final ligature, Dr. Jayma will be inspectingthe area of the cystic artery to make surethat the vessel iscompletely litigated. If there are doubts,he can apply a final ligature to that.
CHAPTER 8
Now before we close the patient,we do a final inspection of the operative site.Make sure there are no bleeders from the liver bed,from the gallbladder fossa and from the area of the cystic duct.So careful hemostasis is applied by electrocautery.Now, washing- is optional,we mostly perform that if we encounter spillages during dissections.
CHAPTER 9
After complete counting,we now close the patient layer by layer, starting from the peritoneum and theinternal oblique muscle. Kelly.The first layer would involve your peritoneum,your internal oblique, and your posterior rectus sheath.Mayo.We anchor the suture at the medial end.You can also apply a wet sponge over the abdominal organs to avoid hitting them.Dr. Jayma is using absorbable suture.With continuous, interrupted method of suturing.We've just acknowledged that the OS count is complete.One more.We're almost done with the first layer of closure.Now the second layer to be closed is your rectus abdominis muscle.Now this layer involvesthe anterior rectus sheathand your rectus abdominis muscle.Again, the continuous interrupt-continuous interlocking technique of suturing is employed by Dr. Jayma.Dr. Jayma will now be approximating the subcutaneous layerin preparation for the subcuticular closure.Just a few interrupted stitches will suffice.Mayo.Now the skin is closed finally.using an absorbable suture, applying subcuticular technique.The wound is expected to dry up in around 24 hours,and heal by around 1 to 2 weeks.Now part of the advicethat we instruct the patients is some recurring painsemanating from the operative site, specifically the scarred area.And this is usually felt when the patient shivers or-have,involuntary contractions of the muscle,most notably during cold temperatures.So we expect them to happen around November to February,and this is quite expected or normal.
CHAPTER 10
So, for this patient, when we opened him up,we noted that the ultrasound findings were fairly accurate,the liver was normal, the bowels were normal,the gallbladder was moderately dilated, it's physiologic.The walls were thickened,the intrahepatic ducts were also- not dilated,as well as the common bile duct. So after careful dissection,the gallbladder was eventually removed.The entire operative course was- quite uneventful,we did the procedure in under an hour.We did not encounter any bleedings during the procedure.Now postoperatively, the patientis expected to be fed immediately, andallowed to ambulate and to walk around.He is restricted from performing heavy activities for about 6 to 8 weeks,that is to take care of your incisional area and preventincisional hernias from occurring.Follow up is usually recommended and suggested after a week,just to check on the wound.The patient can be sent home with antibiotics and painkillers.It is very important that painkillers be-given to these patients, because open cholecystectomies tend to be quitepainful postoperatively, but it's not really that painful in,in the manner that you- it can be controlled byyour painkillers. So, we have a lot of painkillers in the market.We can use any one of them, it can work for the patient.After about 6 to 8 weeks,the patient is now allowed to perform your heavy activities,he can even perform marathons, do weightlifting,get into active sports again.In the long run,the patients will, experiencesome bouts of pain about the area of your operative site.This could only be due to yourinvoluntary muscle contractions during cold environments. Physiology-wise,there is really- no-discrepancy with the-between a patient without a gallbladder and a patient with an intactgallbladder. You see the gallbladder is just a storage organ for your bile,it's your liver that produces your bile,the bile's primary function is to digest fats in your diet.When we take in food, we take in carbohydrates,proteins, and fats.The pancreas and pancreatic juices in the bile usuallytakes care of your fat digestion, while your,your gastric juices and your small intestinal juicestakes care of digesting your proteins and carbohydrates.So, if you take out the gallbladder, you only take out the storage organ,but the source of the bile still comes from- remains to be the liver.As I understand, based on statistics,as of today, gallbladder still runs ahead-from the- from appendicitis case, so, it's- we encounter more,gallbladder stone cases, even compared to appendicitis cases.So it's not really a rare condition,the procedure is not really rare, you know,a lot of surgeons rapidly perform more gallbladder surgeries compared to otherprocedures. Patients come in and ask us if-what could they do to prevent gallstones from occurring?It's actually a metabolic thing. If you are a stone-former,you will really form stones. It's in the way your gallbladder digests andmetabolizes fat and cholesterol.If you are a stone-former, you can't really avoid-having stones formed. But the thing is, mere presence of stones,does not really-it's not really mandatory for a surgical removal of your gallbladder.It's when your gallbladder becomes diseased, that's when-that's the only time when surgeons recommend removal of your gallbladder.So it can be diseased if it becomes inflamed from obstruction.So it doesn't really-matter whether you have a few stones, or a lot of stones, or a solid-type of stone,it doesn't really matter whether you have small stones or big stones.What matters is if your gallbladder becomes diseased due to these stones. So,complications arise if your gallbladder-causes obstruction in your cystic duct, preventing bile from coming out of the gallbladder,or if small stones accidentally passes through the cystic duct into the commonbile duct and causes obstruction in that area.