Application of PTBD in Biliary Disease

Objective To evaluate the treatment value of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in biliary disease. Methods Thirteen patients (M∶F, 5∶8, mean age 53 years) with obstructive jaundice underwent PTBD. Four patients had hilar cholangiocarcinoma and nine patients had the distal common bile duct obstruction. PTBD was performed under ultrasound guidance. Resuluts Fifteen times of PTBD were performed in 13 patients and 13 times was successfully performed in 11 patients (13/15, 86.4%). Among these, 84.6% (11/13) of the plastic stents were successfully dislodged one time. After PTBD, the serum bilirubin levels were decreased obviously (5g) in 8 patients (72.7%) and decreased slightly (5g/L) in two patients. Conclusion PTBD can decrease the serum bilirubin level effectively in the patients with obstructive jaundice. It can be applied preoperatively in cases with severe jaundice to decrease the serum bilirubin level or as a palliative treatment method in the inoperable patients with obstructive jaundice. [