A 52-year-old woman undergoes laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis. During dissection of the hepatocystic triangle, the surgeon identifies dense adhesions obscuring the critical view of safety (CVS). The cystic artery is clearly identified and divided, but the anatomy of the cystic duct and its relationship to the common bile duct remains unclear. What is the most appropriate next step?