Enterocutaneous fistula as a complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard method for treating gallstone related disease. Despite its widespread and well established application, clear consensus is not arrived at regarding the comparative risks and benefits of acute versus interval cholecystectomy. The complications of this technique are well known, with respect to both the operative intervention and the technique used. This case describes a case of cholecystitis in a 76-year-old man, who underwent acute laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholecystitis refractory to antibiotic therapy. Postoperative complications included subhepatic collections bilaterally, eventually leading to the formation of an enterocutaneous fistula to the left chest wall - a previously undocumented phenomenon. The protracted course of the disease is discussed, with reference to investigations performed and the eventual successful outcome.