Prophylaxis of postoperative biliary stasis: a retrospective and prospective study.

Postoperative biliary stasis is a common state before the onset of postoperative acute cholecystitis. In order to study its characteristics and methods of prophylaxis, we examined the frequency of biliary stasis and postoperative recovery of gallbladder contractility ultrasonographically from the 2nd to the 28th postoperative day in 43 esophagectomy cases. A retrospective study in 17 patients revealed a high incidence of biliary stasis during the early postoperative period and improvement by the initiation of enteral nutrition. Furthermore, the contractility of the gallbladder recovered remarkably soon after the operation. This first randomized prospective study concerning prophylaxis of biliary stasis in 26 patients showed that postoperative biliary stasis was prevented by early initiation of enteral nutrition.