A Case of Laparoscopic Abscess Drainage of an Intra-abdominal Abscess Caused by Spilled Gallstones During Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Acute Cholecystitis

Abstract

A 76-year-old male patient underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis, and intraoperatively, bile juice and small stones contaminated the peritoneal cavity. He was discharged uneventfully, but had to be re-admitted for intra-abdominal abscess caused by the gallstone spillage, and underwent laparoscopic abscess drainage on day 74 postoperatively. The abscess cavity with black stones was successfully drained and the patient recovered well, without any recurrence of the abscess. With the implementation of the Tokyo Guidelines for the Management of Acute Cholangitis and Cholecystitis 2013, cases of early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis have been increasing. In general, control of the complications of intraperitoneal gallstone spillage proves challenging, but laparoscopic abscess drainage is a minimally invasive technique as compared to open surgery and is more useful for enabling recovery from damage than percutaneous abscess drainage.