The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) is educating practicing surgeons, residents, and fellows about technical steps to prevent bile duct injury, such as the Critical View of Safety and intraoperative biliary imaging.
Bile duct injury can be a devastating complication of cholecystectomy. It has been reported to occur in 0.2 to 1% of laparoscopic cholecystectomies.
According to Michael Brunt, MD, SAGES president, “After 25 years of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, it is time to undertake the difficult issue of reducing bile duct injuries for this common procedure.”
The SAGES resources include strategies for minimizing injuries and a video by Brunt introducing the SAGES Safe Cholecystectomy program. To access, go to http://www.sages.org/safe-cholecystectomy-program.
The SAGES Safe Cholecystectomy Task Force also plans to support surgical decision-making around the timing of surgery for acute cholecystitis and the management of various difficult cholecystectomy scenarios.
