Bile duct injury rates higher from robot -assisted cholecystectomy

Byline: Valerie Goodwin

Newswise – as a robot chole cystectomy, also known as gallbladder removal, researchers are becoming increasingly common Identified higher rates of the bile duct injury In the robot chole cystectomy compared to the conventional approach, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

A team of researchers at the University of Michigan Health under the direction of researchers under the direction Cody Mullens, MD, MPHA general resident, found that there are Higher risks of a bile duct injury in robot chole cystectomyRegardless of patient risk factors.

Biliary gangs are rare and a technical complication from a cholecystectomy, but should be treated quickly according to the location.

An injured bile duct can lead to a bile flow from the liver in the stomach intestine tract, which helps with digestion and absorption, which can expire in the stomach.

This can lead to further procedures required to repair the injured bile duct and stop the leak.

The purpose of the study was to question the surgeon's claim that differences in the bile duct injury rates in the robot and laparoscopic cholecystectomy were due to the selection factors of the patient.

Using Medicare data, Mullens and the team found that a bile duct injury in robot chole cystectomy is higher compared to laparoscopic cholecystectomy at low, medium -sized and high risk patients.

“In view of these results and other recent work, patients should have honest conversations with their surgeons about the risk of using robot and laparoscopic techniques for cholecystectomy,” said Mullens.

“While most results are similar between the removal of robots and the laparoscopic gallbladder, this evidence is illustrated that patient risk factors should not make a decision -making process as to whether the gallbladder should be removed robotically or laparoscopically.”

Mullens also pointed out that robot chole cystectomies robot chole cystectomies were about three times as high as laparoscopic about the different patient risk.

“On the whole line, patients have supported fewer bile duct injuries with laparoscopic cholecystectomies as robots.”

Additional authors: Sarah Sheskey, BS, and Jyothi R. Thumma, Mph, from the Center for Health and Politics of Health, Institute for Health Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Justin B. Dimick, MD, MPH and Kyle H. Sheetz, MDMS, from the Center for Health and Politics of Health, Institute for Health Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and the Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and Edward C. Norton, Ph.D., from the Center for Healthcare Results and Policy, Institute for Health Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and the Ministry of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Financing/disclosure: This work was supported by Grant R01-DK131584-01 by the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestion and Center Diseases (Dimick and Sheetz).

Tech transfer/conflict of interest: Dimick reported to have equity in Arbormetrix Inc, outside of the submitted work.

Paper cited: “The complexity of the patients and the bile duct injury after robotic support against laparoscopic cholecystectomy”, ” Jama Network Open. DOI: 10.1001/Jamanetworkkopen.2025.1705

Register for Health Lab Newsletter today. Get medical tips from top experts and learn about new scientific discoveries every week.

Register for the Health Lab Podcast. Add us wherever you hear your favorite shows.