Impact of Bile Exposure Time on Organ/space Surgical Site Infections After Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background/Aim: Organ/space surgical site infections (SSIs) are critical complications of pancreaticoduodenectomy. We investigated the impact of the time between division of the common hepatic duct and completion of biliary reconstruction [bile exposure (BE) time] on the occurrence of post-pancreaticoduodenectomy organ/space SSI. Patients and Methods: Sixty-one patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy were retrospectively studied. The impact of perioperative variables and BE time on organ/space SSI occurrence was analyzed. Results: Organ/space SSIs occurred in 17 patients (28%). Patients were divided into two groups according to BE time. The incidence of organ/space SSIs was significantly higher in the long BE time group than in the short BE time group (42% versus 13%, p=0.0127). Multivariate analysis revealed that long BE times [odds ratio (OR)=4.8; p=0.0240] and soft pancreatic texture (OR=16.5; p=0.0106) were independent risk factors for organ/space SSIs. Conclusion: Long BE time is a risk factor for post-pancreaticoduodenectomy organ/space SSIs. Shortening BE time may reduce organ/space SSI occurrence.