Introduction and importance: Situs Inversus Totalis (SIT) is a rare condition characterized by the transposition of internal organs. Given the anatomical variations in SIT, surgeons must exercise extreme caution when performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy to avoid iatrogenic bile duct injury. Despite the high difficulty index associated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy in SIT, there is only one case report of common bile duct (CBD) injury in the English-language literature. Case presentation: A 41-year-old female patient, known to have Kartagener syndrome, underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis and was discharged home on post-operative day one. However, on post-operative day five, the patient presented to the emergency room with abdominal pain, fever, and jaundice. Laboratory tests revealed leukocytosis and hyperbilirubinemia. Radiological images revealed complete occlusion of the CBD. A delayed approach was chosen, and six weeks after her initial operation, a hepaticojejunostomy was performed. Clinical discussion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the standard operative procedure for gallbladder disease. The unique anatomy of SIT increases the risk of CBD injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Surgeons are required to perform a mirror-image procedure and adhere to the basic principles of safe laparoscopic cholecystectomy in SIT. This is only the second reported case of CBD injury in SIT patients. Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in SIT presents a significant challenge. In patients with SIT, preventing CBD injury is the best approach, and referral to an experienced hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgeon is recommended. A delayed approach to CBD injuries in SIT allows thorough planning and understanding of the complex anatomical variations in these patients. Highlights:
Introduction: While there is an increasing shift towards minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy (MIDP), little is known about how utilization of MIDP vs. open distal pancreatectomy (ODP) has evolved over time. We aimed to determine competing temporal trends in use and outcomes of MIDP (laparoscopic and robotic) over time and to determine if a threshold of effectiveness has been reached. Methods: Adults undergoing MIDP and ODP were identified from the National Cancer Database (2010–2021) and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2014–2022). Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to address baseline differences between groups before comparing outcomes. Joinpoint regression analysis (JRA) was employed to assess adjusted trends in adoption and outcomes. We calculated Annual Percentage Change (APC) and Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC) to quantify yearly adoption rates and their trends, respectively. Results: Among 21,966 patients in the NCDB cohort, 49.5% underwent MIDP, including 33.7% laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) and 15.8% robotic distal pancreatectomy (RDP), while 50.5% underwent ODP. ODP declined from 74.1% of cases (2010) to 41.1% (2021), with an AAPC of −4.9%. MIDP increased significantly throughout the study from 25.9% of cases (2010) to 58.9% (2021), with an AAPC of 6.3%. Among MIDP subgroups, there was an initial increase in LDP until 2016, after which its rate of utilization stagnated with an AAPC of 0.7% (p > 0.05). In contrast, RDP demonstrated steady growth with an AAPC of about 15% (p < 0.05). A consistent and significant decline in clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula rates occurred across all surgical approaches, with the most pronounced improvement observed in the robotic approach. MIDP approaches had significantly shorter hospital stays and lower mortality rates; however, RDP cases were associated with longer operative times compared to LDP and ODP. Conclusions: Over the past decade, the use of MIDP increased while ODP decreased. This increase was initially driven by greater use of LDP, which plateaued after 2016, and was further driven by the increased use of the robotic approach. Specifically, RDP demonstrated consistent growth, while LDP showed a decline around 2016. These findings highlight changing practice patterns, accompanied by improvements across all surgical approaches. This may provide insights for clinical training and resource allocation.