Bile Duct Diseases: An Introduction

/in , , , , /by

Bile ducts are tubes that primarily carry bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine to help digest fats.

Several diseases in the bile ducts can prevent proper bile duct functioning. Read along to find out more.

Bile duct disease

There are several bile duct diseases that can occur. Gallstones are one common issue for bile ducts. These form when deposits of digestive fluid harden in the gallbladder. They can cause inflammation, increasing pressure in the gallbladder and potentially blocking a bile duct. Another common bile duct condition is cholangitis, which is inflammation in the bile duct system. This is often caused by a bacterial infection.

Bile ducts can also have strictures (narrowing). In other cases, they can leak. Cancer can also occur in the bile ducts. Bile duct cancer is rare and aggressive. Additionally, some infants are born with a condition called biliary atresia, in which bile ducts are scarred and blocked. This causes a buildup of bile in the liver and can damage it.

Symptoms of Bile Duct Diseases

Bile duct diseases tend to have some of a group of symptoms. These include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, itchy skin, fever, chills, weight loss, loss of appetite, and jaundice. Pain may occur in the upper abdomen and radiate to the back in some cases. Depending on the disease, these symptoms can be at differing levels of severity and present in varied ways. The progression the disease also influences the severity and types of symptoms.

Diagnosis

Doctors diagnose bile duct diseases in a few different ways. Bilirubin blood testing can identify high levels of bilirubin in your bloodstream and can diagnose jaundice. Doctors can perform an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatogram (ERCP) to diagnose diseases. In an ERCP, they can inject contrast dye to help image your bile ducts during an x-ray. They can also perform an Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) to examine your bile ducts and make a diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatments vary depending on the type of bile duct disease. ERCP, in addition to helping with diagnosis, can help treat disease. Doctors can pass tools through the endoscope during an ERCP and open blocked ducts, remove or break up gallstones, insert stents, and even remove tumors. Doctors can also help drain bile during an EUS by inserting a stent to help drain into the small intestine or stomach. One other emerging treatment involves using Radiofrequency Ablation for palliative care to treat the symptoms of bile duct cancer. This can be a way to manage pain for long-term cases of cancer.

Surgery may also be necessary in some cases. For example, with patients who have bile duct cancer, surgery can help to remove tumors. If tumors are very large, doctors may need to remove the liver and perform a liver transplant.

Our experienced team at GHP has years of experience treating conditions including bile duct diseases. We can help establish the best plan of care for your situation. Contact any of our office locations to learn about the options we offer and schedule an appointment today.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatogram (ERCP): A Brief Overview

/in , , /by

An Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatogram (ERCP) is a therapeutic endoscopic procedure that helps diagnose and treat diseases in the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and bile system. Here’s what you need to know about the procedure. 

When an ERCP is used

There are several reasons your doctor may perform an ERCP. One common reason is to diagnose and treat gallstones that are trapped in the bile duct. They may also perform an ERCP to identify the source of persistent upper right side abdominal pain, to identify a cause of pancreatitis, or to relieve bile duct obstruction caused by tumors. Often, doctors will inject a dye in the bile ducts during an ERCP to assist with X-ray imaging.

Preparing for an ERCP

There are a few important steps to prepare for an ERCP. You will need to discuss any medications you are taking with your doctor. Blood-thinning medications like Coumadin (warfarin), Eliquis (apixaban), Lovenox (enoxaparin), Plavix (clopidogrel), Pradaxa (dabigatran), and Xarelto (rivaroxaban) are especially important to discuss. These can increase the risk of severe bleeding during the procedure, and you should stop taking them before the ERCP. Also, if you use insulin, you may need to adjust timing or dosage on the day of the procedure. Your doctor will also need to know if you have any allergies to medications. Additionally, you will need to fast starting the midnight prior to your procedure. This means avoiding eating from that time until your procedure. 

During the Procedure

Prior to the ERCP procedure, you will go to a pre-op area where nurses will place an IV and take your medical information. You will also speak with an anesthesiologist about the sedation used during the procedure. 

Once you have moved to the procedure room, you will be connected to machines that monitor your vitals during the ERCP. You will be sedated during the procedure. Your doctor will feed the endoscope through your mouth and perform the procedure. The specific techniques and treatments they use will depend on your situation, and include opening blocked ducts and inserting stents. They may also take X-rays during the procedure. Contrast dye is injected through the endoscope to assist in developing X-ray imaging of your bile ducts. In total, the ERCP should take around 30-40 minutes. 

After the Procedure

After the ERCP, you will go to a post-op area to recover from sedation and the procedure and will be monitored for complications. Once you have recovered, your doctor will discuss the results with you, though any biopsies will take a few days to return. You should not operate machinery, drive, or make important decisions for 24 hours after your procedure due to sedative effects. 

It’s common to have a sore throat immediately after the procedure; throat lozenges can help treat soreness. You should follow a clear liquid diet after the ERCP, eventually transitioning to bland foods. 

The procedure has a few uncommon risks. Around 7% of patients experience pancreatitis, an inflamed pancreas. This requires hospitalization to rest the pancreas and manage inflammation. In very rare cases, this can be severe and lead to surgery, organ failure, or death. 

In very rare cases, perforation occurs during the procedure. Most of the time, this can be managed with hospitalization, bed rest, antibiotics, and bowel rest. Rarely, you may need surgery to repair the perforation. 

There is a low risk of bleeding as well, which occurs in around 0.5% of cases. When managed during the procedure, it can be stopped. Delayed bleeding requires patients to return to their doctor for treatment. 

Our experienced team at GHP has years of experience performing ERCPs. We can help establish the best plan of care for your situation. Contact any of our office locations to learn about the options we offer and schedule an appointment today.