P-BN17 Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy is a safe and effective treatment for gallstone disease

Background Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard treatment of gallstones in fit patients with symptomatic gallbladder disease. If the critical view of safety cannot be achieved intra-operatively, there are few options, one of which is laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy. This study aims to ascertain the outcomes of subtotal cholecystectomy. Methods Retrospective review of all patients who underwent laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy by a single surgeon over a 5 year period. Results 37 consecutive patients who underwent subtotal cholecystectomy were included in this study; seventeen of which were males (49%); the median age was 69, and 18 were emergencies (49%).The most common reasons for conversion to laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy were adhesions (57%) and fibrotic Calot’s triangle (22%). One patient required ERCP and biliary stenting for ongoing bile leak and another returned to theatre for post operative bleeding during index admission. 6 patients (16%) required further hospital admissions for gallstone disease (1 for biliary colic, two for cholecystitis and three for CBD stones). 3 patients required ERCP. None required further gallbladder surgery. Conclusions Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy is a safe and effective alternative to total cholecystectomy when the critical view of safety cannot be achieved. In our experience, only a small proportion of patients have recurrent biliary problems.

P-BN44 The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on waiting lists for laparoscopic cholecystectomy and its effect on patient care and outcomes

Background It has been widely reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on waiting lists for elective surgery in the NHS. Delays in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) are likely to prolong suffering for symptomatic patients and risk increasing complications for patients which may then require emergency care and intervention. In this study we aim to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on elective waiting lists and to assess what implications this might have on patient care and outcomes. Methods Electronic health records were retrospectively interrogated for patients undergoing LC in both March 2019 (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) and March 2021. The following data was captured: age, gender, elective vs emergency operation, laparoscopic vs open, total vs subtotal cholecystectomy, use of drains, length of stay/daycase rates, the number of emergency presentations prior to operation and the number of days between being listed for surgery and their operation. The results were analysed using SPSS Statistics (IBM, New York). Results 111 patients were included in the study (25 male and 86 female). Of these, 60 had their LC in 2019, and 51 in 2021. The age and gender distribution of the patients in both time periods were similar. The median number of days on the waiting list was significantly higher (P < 0.001) for patients in 2021 at 379.5 days, compared with 153 days in 2019. There was a significant increase in the number of emergency presentations prior to LC in 2021 (P = 0.025) with an average of 0.7 presentations per patient compared with 0.45 in 2019. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the number of emergency LC performed in 2021 (P = 0.002), with 15 performed compared with 4 in 2019, representing 29.4% and 6.7% of all LC respectively. There was no significant change in rates of conversion to open, drains or subtotal cholecystectomy. There was no significant difference in daycase rates for elective patients in either period (55% vs 58%). Conclusions Whilst there has been no change in the operative outcomes for patients undergoing LC, there has been a stark increase in the length of time patients are on a waiting list prior to undergoing elective LC. This has resulted in a significant increase in the number of emergency presentations and the number of emergency LC performed. This study demonstrates the wider impact of increasing waiting list times beyond the prolonged suffering of symptomatic patients. A significant reduction in waiting list times would be beneficial to both patients and healthcare providers, with the aim of reducing the number of emergency presentations. A reduction in these would have a positive impact on acute services and on the associated cost implications.

O-BN02 Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy for difficult gallbladders: A lifesaving bailout or an incomplete operation? A systematic review

Background Cholecystectomy is one of the commonest abdominal operations performed worldwide. Sometimes, the operation can be technically difficult due to dense adhesions in Calot’s triangle. Conversion to open surgery or subtotal cholecystectomy have been described to deal with these situations. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis on STC suggested high perioperative morbidity associated with STC. These findings are at odds with a previous systematic review and meta-analysis on the topic which concluded that morbidity rates for STC were comparable to those reported for total cholecystectomy. However, both these reviews included patients undergoing Open Subtotal Cholecystectomy (OSTC). This makes it difficult for us to understand the outcomes of LSTC as surgeons are not faced with the choice of converting to open surgery to perform a subtotal cholecystectomy. The choice they face is whether they should perform a LSTC or convert to open surgery to perform a total cholecystectomy. It is, therefore, important to establish the outcomes of LSTC alone (without including patients who underwent OSTC). This is all the more important during COVID-19 pandemic when the complexity of gall stone disease appears to have worsened. There is thus an enhanced need to understand technical nuances and outcomes of LSTC alone. Methods Search strategy: We searched PUBMED (Medline), Google Scholar, and Embase for all relevant English language articles describing experience with LSTC in adult human population (≥18 years) anywhere in the world using key-words like “subtotal cholecystectomy”, “gallbladder resection”, “gallbladder excision”, “gallbladder removal”, “partial”, “incomplete”, “insufficient”, “deroofing”, and “near-total”. Case reports, articles only published as conference abstracts, case series with <5 cases, and reviews were excluded. Only English-language studies were included. Participants: All studies with 5 or more cases, describing any experience with an adult cohort (≥18 years) of patients undergoing STC while attempting a Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy were included. Studies on patients who underwent preoperative cholecystostomy were excluded. Studies that had LSTC as part of another surgery were also excluded as we wanted to understand the morbidity and mortality of LSTC alone. Studies on patients who underwent OSTC (Open from start) were excluded as were those where the LSTC cohort was merged with the OSTC cohort and outcomes of LSTC were not separately reported. Study outcome: Primary outcome measure was early (≤30 days) morbidity and mortality. Secondary outcome measures were bile duct injury, bile leak rates, conversion to open surgery rates, duration of hospital stay, and late (>30 days) morbidity. Results 45 studies were identified, with a total of 2166 patients. Mean age was 55 +/- 15 years with 51% females; 53% (n = 390) were elective procedures. The conversion rate was 6.2% (n = 135). Most common indication was acute cholecystitis (n = 763). Different techniques were used with the majority having a closed cystic duct/gallbladder stump (n = 1188, 71%). The most common closure technique was intracorporeal suturing (53%) followed by endoloop closure. There were a total of four, 30-day mortality [1] in this review. Early morbidity (≤30 days) included bile duct injury (0.23%), bile leak rates (18%), intra-abdominal collection (4%). Reoperation was reported in 23 patients (1%), most commonly for unresolving intra-abdominal collections and failed ERCP to control bile leak. Long term follow-up was reported in 30 studies with a median follow up period of 22 months. Late morbidity included incisional hernias (6%), CBD stones (2%), and symptomatic gallstones in 4% (n = 41) with 2% (n = 22) requiring completion of cholecystectomy. Conclusions Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy is an acceptable alternative in patients with a “difficult” Calot’s triangle. However, this has to be taken seriously as it is associated with a high early and late morbidity and mortality.

P-BN51 Subtotal cholecystectomy: risk factors and patient outcomes

Background A subtotal cholecystectomy (SC) is indicated when a total cholecystectomy (TC) cannot be achieved without the risk of causing significant harm, the most feared complication being a bile duct injury. The aims of the present study were to identify patients at risk of SC, to compare the peri- and post-operative course between SC and TC and to compare outcomes between fenestrated and reconstituting subtypes. Methods All planned laparoscopic cholecystectomies across three surgical units over a population of 493,000 between 2015 and 2019 were considered. Data were collected retrospectively using electronic databases and included pre-operative, operative and post-operative data over a 100-day follow-up period. Variables associated with SC were identified using multivariate logistic regression. Outcomes following SC were compared with TC using univariate analysis, specifically chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests. The subtype of SC was documented and outcomes were compared between groups. Results The rate of SC was 3.4% (94/2768). Variables positively associated with SC included male sex (OR-2.33;p<0.001), age≥60 (OR-1.79;p=0.009), 2 previous admissions (OR-1.76;p=0.043), ≥3 previous admissions (OR-3.10;p=0.003), emergency cholecystectomy (OR-2.01;p=0.002); cholecystitis (OR-4.92;p<0.001) and pre-operative ERCP (OR-2.23;p<0.002). Patients with SC versus TC were more likely to suffer intra-operative complications (RR-13.1;p<0.001), post-operative complication (RR-6.7;p<0.001), require post-operative imaging/intervention (RR-4.0;p<0.001) and be re-admitted (RR-4.2; p < 0.001). The rate of bile duct injury was 0% in SC patients. The rate of post-operative bile leak was higher where the cystic duct was left open versus closed (RR-2.9;p=0.03) and in fenestrating SC versus reconstituting SC (35.7% versus 0%;p=0.002). Drain duration was reduced in reconstituting SC (p < 0.001). Conclusions The risk of SC can be explained by a number of patient specific factors and the risk should be emphasized in these patients during the consent process and should influence surgical decision making. The morbidity following a subtotal cholecystectomy is markedly higher than that of a total cholecystectomy but can be performed without significant risk of bile duct injury. Reconstituting SC and closure of the cystic duct reduces rates of post-operative bile leaks and duration of drains.

P-EGS21 The impact of COVID-19 on operative difficulty and outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in substantial delays to surgery among patients with symptomatic gallstones due to cessation of elective surgical procedures. As this exposed patients to a longer period of time during which complications from gallstones could develop, we hypothesised that the operative difficulty and complication rate of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) increased following the first wave of the pandemic. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients receiving emergency or elective LC at a single NHS trust comprising three sites. We included patients undergoing surgery in the pre-pandemic period (July-September 2019) and after resumption of elective surgical services following the first wave of the pandemic (July-September 2020). We compared data on operative duration, length of hospital stay, complications (bile leak, bile duct injury and mortality) and need for subtotal cholecystectomy. Categorical data are reported as n(%) and were compared with Fisher’s exact test. Continuous data are reported as median with interquartile range and compared with Mann-Whitney U Test. Results 220 patients were included; 106 in the pre-pandemic group and 114 in the pandemic group. There were no significant differences in median operative times between the pre-pandemic (91 (71-121 minutes) and post-first wave (86 (69-114) minutes) groups (p = 0.48). The proportion of prolonged operations (over two hours) was similar in the pre-pandemic and pandemic groups (50% versus 46%, respectively, p = 0.59). Median length of hospital stay was 0 days for both groups (pre-pandemic 0 (0-1) days; pandemic 0 (0-1) days, p = 0.42)). There were no significant differences in the rates of bile leak, bile duct injury, mortality, or the conversion to subtotal cholecystectomy. Conclusions Interruption of elective surgery following the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic did not result in a discernible change in the technical difficulty or complication rate of LC at our centre. Longer term studies are required to assess the effect of prolonged delays to surgery and the impact of subsequent waves of the pandemic.

P-BN54 The outcomes after a Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy

Background Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSC) is a recognised option when the “critical view” cannot be safely delineated. It carries a high morbidity rate as there are increased frequencies of a bile leak occurring however reducing the risk of bile duct injury. LSC can be further divided into fenestrating or reconstituting cholecystectomy, the later entails closing the remnant. The literature state reconstituting cholecystectomy reduced rate of bile leak. We reviewed our cases to analyse the complication rates of LSC and there outcomes. Methods A retrospective review of patients who underwent a laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSC) using electronic records between January 2015 to March 2021. A total of 160 patients, with a mean age of 65, 51% male and 49% female. Results 76% of LSC were performed as an emergency. Mean operation length was 96min and the mean blood loss 92ml. Complications occurred in 50% of patients. Post operatively 22% underwent an ERCP and the re-operation rate was 9%. The mean length of stay was 8 days. Conclusions Based on our results LSC carry a high rate of bile leak with the majority requiring intervention in the form of ERCP or laparoscopy and wash out. A reconstituting cholecystectomy, closing with an endoloop of suture seems to slightly reduce the rate of bile leak. LSC are only performed when managing a difficult gallbladder with a dense/ inflamed Calot's triangle. There were no mortalities associated with a LSC.

P-BN62 Predictive factors for subtotal cholecystectomy in delayed elective cholecystectomy after acute biliary presentation

Background Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is introduced as a treatment option for symptomatic gall bladder disease in 1987 and it is now the gold standard treatment for symptomatic gall bladder disease. The rate of conversion from laparoscopic to open ranges between 5 and 10% .The step of paramount importance in cholecystectomy is the clear identification of the cystic duct and artery, which in some situations can be difficult especially in presence of dense adhesions or severely inflamed gall bladder, increasing the risk for common bile duct (CBD) injury. The traditional response to encountering a difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure is to perform conversion to an open procedure but the open conversion has its drawbacks; The subtotal cholecystectomy has been shown to reduce the need for conversion to an open procedure, thus reducing complications associated with the open cholecystectomy. Studies have also shown that this procedure decreases the bile duct injury rate . Subtotal cholecystectomy rates increased nationally over the past decade. The aim of our study is to identify factors which could predict the need for a subtotal cholecystectomy in the acute biliary admission group having delayed elective Laparoscopic cholecystectomy ,hence proper planning in terms on theatre timing, expertise and patients consenting Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who had delayed elective laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy after admission with Acute Biliary disease and managed conservatively in a tertiary London hospital, between 01/03/2019-29/02/2020 We collected data for all patients whose primary diagnosis was either Acute Cholecystitis, Cholelithiasis, Ascending Cholangitis, Choledocholithiasis and Gallstone Pancreatitis, and analysed these in terms of patient demographics, , duration of index admission, laboratory and radiological results during the acute admission and need to intervention during the acute phase either as a drain (cholecystostomy) or ERCP during initial management. Data were collected from electronic patient records, regarding age, gender, indication for surgery, operative notes, preoperative gall bladder wall thickness on US scan, laboratory results during acute admission. BMI, other interventions such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and cholecystostomy Odds ratios were calculated to assess the risk of patients having a subtotal cholecystectomy. Results 243 patients presented between 01/03/19-29/02/2020 which acute biliary pathology – 95 Male and 148 Female, 230 patients had delayed elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy at least 6 weeks post-acute admission Of 230 laparoscopic cholecystectomies, 22 (9.56%) cases had a subtotal cholecystectomy 13(59.9%) patients were male patients, median age 72 (54.5%) had BMI more than 30 No open conversion. The indication for cholecystectomy in the subtotal group was as follows: Acute cholecystitis 12 (54.54%), Ascending cholangitis 4 (18.18%), Choledocholithiasis 3(13.63%), gall stone pancreatitis 1(4.5%), Cholelithiasis 2 (9.09%)The subtotal cholecystectomy group had Gall bladder wall thickness during index admission documented 4 (18.18%)patients had Gall bladder wall thickness less than 4 or equal 4 mm, 18(81.81%) patients had Gall bladder wall thickness more 4 mm. Odds ratios were calculated to assess the correlation between several characteristics and the likelihood of having a subtotal cholecystectomy in the delayed elective cholecystectomy, we concluded that Older age, male sex, BMI more than 30, previous ERCP, thickened GB wall on ultrasound scan more than 4 mm WCC > 15000 during acute admission, all increased the likelihood of having a subtotal cholecystectomy Conclusions Older age, male sex, BMI more than 30, previous ERCP, thickened GB wall on ultrasound scan more than 4 mm WCC > 15000 during acute admission all increased the likelihood of having a subtotal cholecystectomy. We recommend all these information should be documented during planning for laparoscopic cholecystectomy to allow proper theatre time planning and patient consenting for the possibility of having a subtotal cholecystectomy.

Laparoscopic remnant cholecystectomy for calculi in the remnant gallbladder following subtotal-cholecystectomy: a report of two cases

Two cases of laparoscopic remnant cholecystectomy using near-infrared fluorescence cholangiography (NIFC) for remnant gallbladder calculi following subtotal-cholecystectomy are reported. Case 1: a 36-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with acute abdomen. Computed tomography showed remnant gallbladder calculi, with detected no other findings as the cause of the abdominal pain. For intraoperative exploration of the biliary anatomy, 0.25 mg/kg of indocyanine green (ICG) was administered intravenously the day before the operation. NIFC clearly showed the common bile duct and enabled safe laparoscopic remnant cholecystectomy. She was free from symptoms after the operation. Case 2: a 40-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with epigastralgia due to remnant gallbladder calculi after open cholecystectomy. ICG was administered intravenously the day before the operation. Severe adhesions were observed in the upper abdominal cavity and there was tight adherence of the duodenum to the remnant gallbladder. NIFC showed a clear margin that appeared to be the margin between the duodenum and remnant gallbladder. However, dissection of the margin observed by NIFC caused perforation of the duodenum. The clear margin seen with NIFC was likely due to visualization of the gallbladder through the duodenum. Although NIFC is a useful modality for confirming the intraoperative biliary anatomy, it is important not to rely too heavily on NIFC alone, which may lead to misinterpretation of the anatomy.

Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy after percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage for grade II or III acute cholecystitis

Background Severe adhesions and fibrosis between the posterior wall of the gallbladder and liver bed often render total cholecystectomy after percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) difficult, leading to high open conversion rates. Since the publication of Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18), our policy has shifted from open conversion to subtotal cholecystectomy (SC) when total laparoscopic cholecystectomy for difficult cases of cholecystitis is not feasible. Recently, SC has been frequently applied as bailout surgery for complicated cholecystitis. Nonetheless, the efficacy and validity of laparoscopic SC after PTGBD remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic SC after PTGBD for grade II or III acute cholecystitis (AC) by comparing two periods of altered surgical strategies. Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 2013 and December 2020. A total of 44 eligible patients with grade II or III AC were divided according to the time of cholecystitis onset into the pre-TG18 group (2013–2017, n = 17) and post-TG18 group (2018–2020, n = 27). Patients’ background demographics, surgical method, surgical results, and postoperative complications were compared. Results The interval between PTGBD and surgery was significantly longer in the post-TG18 group than in the pre-TG18 group (15 [interquartile range: 9–42] days vs. 8 [4–11] days; P = 0.010). The frequency of laparoscopic cholecystectomy significantly increased from 52.9% in the pre-TG18 group to 88.9% in the post-TG18 group (P = 0.007), whereas the frequency of SC was 23.5% and 40.7%, respectively, which showed no statistically significant difference (P = 0.241). However, the rate of laparoscopic SC significantly increased from 0 to 90.9% among 15 SC cases, whereas the rate of open SC significantly plummeted from 100 to 9.1% (P = 0.001). Significant differences in the operative time, amount of intraoperative bleeding, and incidence of postoperative complications (wound infection and subhepatic abscess) were not observed. Mortality, bile leakage, and bile duct injury did not occur in either group. Conclusions For grade II or III AC after PTGBD, aggressive adoption of SC increased the completion rate of laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic SC is a safe and feasible treatment option.