BACKGROUND Cholecystectomy is the most commonly performed procedure in general surgery. However, bile duct injury is a rare but still one of the most common complications. These injuries sometimes present variably after primary surgery. Timely detection and appropriate management decrease the morbidity and mortality of the operation. METHODS Five cases of iatrogenic bile duct injury (IBDI) were managed at the Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University. All the cases who underwent both open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy had persistent injury to the biliary tract and were treated accordingly. RESULTS Recovery of the patients was uneventful. All patients were followed-up at the surgical outpatient department for six months to three years. So far the patients have shown good recovery. CONCLUSIONS In cases of IBDI it is necessary to perform the operation under the supervision of an experienced surgeon who is specialized in the repair of bile duct injuries, and it is also necessary to detect and treat the injury as soon as possible to obtain a satisfactory outcome.