Application of a new water jet apparatus in open hepatobiliary surgery: hepatic resection, cholecystectomy, common bile duct lavage.

The presently accepted technologies for hepatobiliary surgery have some limitations and disadvantages. Use of water jet dissection is rapidly spreading and its indications are continuously being widened. In 1988 we developed a new bimodular jet-cutter "Parenchimotom-01". After the experimental application on 110 dogs, the apparatus was introduced into clinical practice. Between 1992-1995 we have successfully performed 11 liver resections, 14 cholecystectomies, and 2 lavages of the common bile duct on 25 patients. Marked decrease in blood loss, operative time, rate of complications, and length of hospitalization were noted. We suggest the water jet dissection to be a sophisticated and maximally effective instrumental technology that offers numerous advantages over the other techniques so far commonly accepted in hepatobiliary surgery and which may improve the treatment and prognosis in patients with different hepatobiliary disease entities.