Hernon et al: The effect of flushing of the common bile duct on hepatobiliary markers and short‐term outcomes in dogs undergoing cholecystectomy for the management of gall bladder mucocele: A randomized controlled prospective study
Veterinary Surgery 5, 2023

🔍 Key Findings

• Flushing the common bile duct (CBD) during cholecystectomy did not result in improved hepatobiliary markers compared to no flushing.
• Cholecystectomy alone significantly reduced ALP, ALT, GGT, bilirubin, and cholesterol 3 days postoperatively (p < .05 for all).
• Survival to discharge was 90.3%, with no survival difference between flushed and non-flushed groups.
• Postoperative pancreatitis occurred in 12.9% of dogs, evenly distributed between groups, suggesting flushing did not increase risk.
• Most common complication was regurgitation (29%), not significantly different between groups.
• Free abdominal fluid had low sensitivity (29%) but moderate specificity (73%) for gallbladder rupture.
• No difference in duration of hospitalization or postoperative complications between groups.
• Gallbladder rupture rate was 12.9%, lower than previously reported in literature.