Outcome of Extended Porta Hepatis Dissection and Hepatic Portojejunostomy for Biliary Atresia

Abstract

Extended porta hepatis dissection and hepatic porto jejunostomy was performed on 14 biliary atresia patients during last 13 years by a single surgeon. The average age at operation was 68 days(range from 37 days to 98 days). The patients were admitted for 8 weeks postoperatively for administration of parenteral antibiotics. There was one operative mortality due to acute hepatic necrosis. Among 13 patients remaining, 12(92.5 %) became chemically jaundice-free within 36 weeks postoperatively(average 16.8 weeks) , the earliest 8 weeks, and in one patients jaundice persisted. Five(38.5 %) patients developed cholangitis after operation. Among jaundice-free patients, one patient died of unrelated disease 2 years after hepatic porto jejunostomy, who underwent left lateral segmentectomy because of a biloma. Eleven survivors(78.6 %) are jaundice-free. The oldest one is 13 years old, enjoying a normal life. The mean period of follow-up is 7 years and 3 months.