A decrease in hepatic portal flow was observed within two days after open cholecystectomy but such an analysis was not done for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Objective: To answer the following problems: 1. Is there any difference between the volume of hepatic portal flow in patients with cholecystolithiasis and without it. 2. Does hepatic portal flow change within two days after laparoscopic cholecystectomy compared with its preoperative value.
Material and methods: 30 patients without hepatic parenchyma diseases were qualified for the study (21 cases of cholecystolithiasis and 9 cases without cholecystolithiasis). In the group of patients with cholecystolithiasis a maximal portal velocity (Vmax) was measured by Doppler's technique and the diameter of the portal vein (D) before laparoscopic cholecystectomy and 1 and 2 days postoperatively. In the group without cholecystolithiasis these values were measured once. On the basis of Vmax a mean velocity (Vmean = 0.57 x Vmax) of portal flow was calculated. Using Vmean and D values a volume of portal flow was calculated.
Results: A mean hepatic portal flow volume in patients with cholecystolithiasis was 725+/-187 ml/min and without it 792+/-229 ml/min. The difference between these values was not statistically significant. No statistically significant differences were also found between values of preoperative and postoperative hepatic portal flow volume.
Conclusions: No statistically significant difference was found between hepatic portal flow volume in patients with and without cholecystolithiasis. Hepatic portal flow does not change significantly within 2 days after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.