Endoscopic versus surgical management of biliary complications - Outcome analysis after 1188 orthotopic liver transplantations.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: After liver transplantation, the endoscopic approach has become the standard treatment modality for biliary complications. Aim of this study was to compare primary endoscopic with primary surgical management.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review on 1188 consecutive liver transplant patients between 1989 and 2009 was performed. Management strategies (endoscopic, surgical or combined approach) were evaluated for treatment success as well as patient survival.

RESULTS: Biliary complications after liver transplantation were diagnosed in 211 (18%) patients. Initial endoscopic approach (N=162, 77%) was successful in 97 of 162 (60%) patients. In 80% of patients, success was achieved within a median of four ERCPs. Sixty-one patients (38%) were referred to surgery after non-successful ERCP. Initial surgical approach was performed in 49/211 patients (23%) with successful management in 38/49 (78%) of patients. Patients presenting with intraluminal objects needed a significantly higher number of ERCPs to reach treatment success (median 3 versus 2 interventions, p=0.001) but had an equal endoscopic success rate (p=0.427). Patients with successful endoscopic treatment showed lower mortality compared to patients with primary surgical treatment (p=0.029).

CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic management should be considered as the primary approach for biliary complications after liver transplantation.