Surgical clip found at duodenal ulcer after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: report of a case.

UNLABELLED: Surgical clips may incorporate into the duodenal ulcer after laparoscopic cholecystectomy leading to a rare complication.

CASE REPORT: A 70-year-old woman, 15 years after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, developed weight loss, anemia and gastric outlet obstruction secondary to a chronic duodenal ulcer. Gastroscopy showed a clip in the ulcer bed. At surgery she was found to have gastric outlet obstruction and mobilization of the duodenum revealed a large ulcer with a migrated clip from the cystic duct in its base. The ulcer was excluded and the clip was removed. She was perfectly well at the follow-up after 2 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Migration of endo-surgical clips is a rare complication after laparoscopic surgery. Surgeons, gastroenterologists and radiologists should be aware of this late complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in cases of acute abdominal symptoms.