34th Annual Scientific Meeting proceedings

Objectives:

To compare the incidence of complications, specifically postoperative bile peritonitis, following a single ENDOLOOP ligature (EL) to the cystic duct during cholecystectomy with traditional multi-ligature closure in dogs.

Methods:

The clinical records of dogs that underwent cholecystectomy at a single veterinary referral centre between January 2015 and August 2024 were retrospectively reviewed. The retrieved data included patient signalment, indication for cholecystectomy, cystic duct ligation method, concurrent procedures performed, and intra-operative and postoperative complications. A minimum follow-up of four weeks was required unless death occurred sooner.

Results:

Fifty-one dogs that underwent cholecystectomy were included, 39 with multi-ligature cystic duct ligation (ML) and 12 with a single cystic duct EL. No patients with EL required additional ligatures intraoperatively due to bile leakage, and none developed postoperative bile peritonitis. Four patients with ML developed postoperative bile peritonitis, confirmed by abdominocentesis, at a median of 3.5 (range 0.5–4.0) days postoperatively. Three dogs were euthanised, and one was medically managed with a good outcome. The overall incidence of postoperative bile peritonitis was 8%, with statistically similar rates in both groups (P=0.56). 

Conclusions:

A single ENDOLOOP ligature to the cystic duct during cholecystectomy in dogs proved an effective technique that did not increase the incidence of postoperative bile peritonitis in this cohort.