Percutaneous Cholecystostomy Using Central Venous Catheterization Set with Blue FlexTip Catheter

Park, Se Ho; Chae, Yoon Seok; Choi, Jin Sub; Lee, Woo Jung; Kim, Byong Ro

Abstract

PURPOSE: Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) using a pig-tail catheter is indicated for high risk acute cholecystitis. However, this procedure is time consuming, expensive and requires radiological equipment. This study compared PC using a pig-tail catheter with central venous catheterization set.
METHODS
From January 1992 to June 2003, 44 patients underwent PC without a malignancy or a combined hepato- biliary-pancreatic disease were selected. A retrospective study was performed on the time interval to procedure, cost, complications and therapeutic results of the central venous catheter group (A, 15) and the pig-tail catheter group (B, 29)
RESULTS
The time interval was 1.8 days in group A, 3.52 in group B (p=0.002). The cost was 188,684 won in group A, 327,814 won in group B. There were 4 complications in group A (2 leakage, 1 dislodgment, 1 malfunction) while 5 in group B (2 dislodgement, 1 sepsis, 2 malfunction). Although PC, 2 in group A and 5 in group B were discharged hopelessly or died due to the progression of the underlying disease. Twenty-two patients underwent a delayed cholecystectomy with 7 patients in group A (3 laparoscopy, 4 open) and 15 in group B (6 laparoscopy, 8 open, 1 conversion to open). The complication rate was slightly high in group A but there were no statistical significance, no clinical problems and no difference in the mortality rate and surgical method.
CONCLUSION
In high risk acute cholecystitis, PC using central venous catheter is easy, economic, effective and performed at early stage in the emergency room by medical doctors or surgeons.