How does infected bile affect the postoperative course of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

Objectives To assess the rate of infected bile in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and to study the influence on the postoperative infective complications in this group of patients. Methods Bile samples of 247 patients undergoing LC were collected and cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. All patients were given prophylactic antibiotics. Results The overall rate of infected bile was 12.8% (56 positive cultures); of these, 54 were aerobic and 2 anaerobic bacteria. Only 2 patients developed infection at the umbilical site, and in both, the bile was sterile. None of the patients with positive bile cultures developed any signs of infection during a mean follow-up period of 26 months. Conclusion The overall rate of septic complications following LC is extremely low, and at least in our study no correlation was found between infected bile and septic complications.