Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage.
Over the past three decades, endoscopic and percutaneous biliary drainage have become readily available in most hospital settings and these minimally invasive techniques have revolutionized the treatment of patients with biliary obstruction. In the past, treatment of biliary obstruction had required surgery under general anesthesia and an extended hospital stay. Currently, the same patient can most often be treated either endoscopically as an outpatient or during a short hospital stay after percutaneous drainage under moderate sedation. This article reviews the indications and technique of percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and biliary drainage.
Covey
Anne M
AM
Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Memorial Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA. coveya@mskcc.org
Brown
Karen T
KT
D002758:Cholangiography / Q000379:methods*; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D015641:Radiography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*