Introduction

The invention concerns a functional modification to the surgical instrument called Kehr tube, used for the drainage of bile in liver surgery, biliary tract surgery and liver transplants. The Kehr tube is essential for these operations, but at the present state of the art it presents some functional criticalities. Its use can lead to severe complications especially during its removal. This variant allows to avoid these complications with considerable advantages for the safety of patients.

Technical features

The invention consists of a structural modification to the Kher tube, a surgical instrument that is used to drain the bile produced by the liver outside the body and which at the same time allows doctors to monitor its quantity and quality. Although this tool is indispensable in Hepato-Biliary surgery, at the state of the art there are important issues related to its use. In particular, the extraction of this device at the end of its function often presents considerable difficulties that can cause damage to the biliary tract with leakage of bile into the abdominal cavity and the need for endoscopic and / or surgical repair. The structural modification conceived adopts a system of sliding tubes that allows to avoid these dangers, allowing an easy extraction of the instrument from the biliary tract reducing the risk of a biliary fistula and peritonitis in the patient.

Possible Applications

• Hepatic and biliary tract surgery;
• Liver transplants;
• Biliary drainage;
• Abdominal drainages.

Advantages

• Easy and safe extraction;
• Simple and functional structure;
• Reduction of complications related to its removal from the biliary tract such as biliary leaks and peritonitis;
• It reduces the need for ERCP to follow the extraction maneuvers, especially after liver transplant surgery.