BACKGROUND: Bile duct injuries (BDIs) sustained during a cholecystectomy still remain a major surgical problem, and it is still not clear whether the injury should be repaired immediately or a delayed repair is preferred.

METHODS: A retrospective national French survey was conducted to compare the results of immediate (at time of cholecystectomy), early (within 45 days after a cholecystectomy) and late (beyond 45 days after a cholecystectomy) surgical repair for BDI sustained during a cholecystectomy.

RESULTS: Forty-seven surgical centres provided 640 cases of bile duct injury sustained during a cholecystectomy of which 543 were analysed for the purpose of the present study. The timing of repair was immediate in 194 cases (35.7%), early in 216 cases (39.8%) and late in 133 cases (24.5%). The type of repair was a suture repair in 157 cases (81%), and a bilio-digestive reconstruction in 37 cases (19%) for immediate repair; a suture repair in 119 cases (55.1%) and a bilio-digestive anastomosis in 96 cases (44.9%) for the early repair; and a bilio-digestive reconstruction in 129 cases (97%) and a suture repair in 4 cases (3%) for late repair. A second procedure was required in 110 cases (56.7%) for immediate repair, 80 cases (40.7%) for early repair (P < 0.05) and in 9 cases (6.8%) for late repair (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: The timing of surgical repair for a bile duct injury sustained during a cholecystectomy influences significantly the rate of a second procedure and a late repair should be preferred option.