title: The management of T tube leaks in orthotopic liver transplant recipients with endoscopically placed nasobiliary catheters.
abstract: Biliary tract problems remain an important cause of complication following orthotopic hepatic transplantation. We describe 12 liver transplantation patients who developed bile peritonitis secondary to a biliary leak after T tube removal. Each of these patients underwent an urgent ERCP that exhibited leakage outside the T tube tract and nondilated intrahepatic ducts. At the time of the ERCP, a nasobiliary catheter was inserted to divert the bile flow. All of these patients resolved their symptoms and closed their leak. We advocate endoscopic placement of a nasobiliary catheter as first-line therapy for significant T tube tract leaks after liver transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Ostroff
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Ascher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000601:surgery*; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose