A Rare Variation in Biliary Tree Anatomy: A Video Case Report

Anuj Shah, MD

Product Details
Product ID: ACS-6042
Year Produced: 2020
Length: 8 min.


This was a 55 year old male with a past medical history of hypertension, seizures, and agenesis of the corpus callosum that presented to our hospital with a two week history of biliary colic associated with nausea and anorexia, but no vomiting, fevers, or chills. At admission from outside hospital he had transamitis, and hyperbilirubinemia but no leukocytosis.At the outside hospital, MRCP that showed cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis. ERCP was attempted at both hospital with failure to cannulate the ampulla.He was taken to the OR for laparoscopic cholecystectomy with common bile duct exploration. After obtaining the critical view of safety and taking the cystic artery, we made a cystic ductotomy and obtained a cholangiogram which showed the right hepatic duct emptying into the cystic duct, which then joined the left hepatic duct forming the common bile duct. There was also an abnormal connection between the right and left hepatic ducts. We could not remove any stones through this ductotomy because they were severely impacted. A choledochotomy was made and the common bile duct stones were removed through it. A 10Fr biliary stent was placed traversing the ampulla, choledochotomy closed with 4-0 PDS. The cystic ductotomy was extended to remove the impacted stones from earlier. The gallbladder was peeled off the liver wall and removed through the 8mm port. This case report highlights the safe and efficacious use of intraoperative cholangiography and laparoscopic common bile duct exploration in patients with abnormal biliary anatomy