Cancer Surgeon Talks About Biliary Stricture Diagnosis

 

What is biliary stricture?

Biliary stricture, also known as bile duct stricture, occurs when the bile duct gets smaller or narrower. The bile duct is the tube that takes bile from the liver to the small bowel. Bile is a substance that helps in digestion of fatty food and excreting harmful substances, says the best cancer surgeon in Kolkata.

When the bile duct becomes narrow, it makes it difficult for bile to pass from the liver to the small bowel. This reduction in bile to the small bowel leads to difficulty in digesting food, especially fatty food. When bile is not excreted, it builds up in the body and causes several difficulties.

Patients with mild biliary strictures may not show any symptoms, but the stricture causes abnormalities in the blood and a rise in some of the liver enzymes. When the stricture becomes more pronounced, symptoms start to develop, says the onco surgeon in Kolkata.

What are the symptoms of biliary stricture?

The typical symptoms of biliary stricture are:

●        Pain in the upper right side of the abdomen

●        Chills and fever

●        Jaundice

●        Itching

●        Nausea or vomiting

●        Gray or pale-colored stools

How is biliary stricture diagnosed?

Biliary stricture can be diagnosed through different forms of imaging studies that allow doctors to see the bile duct. Blood tests help the doctor determine if the patient may have biliary stricture and if an imaging test is needed to diagnose it.

The doctor can suggest the following imaging tests:

Ultrasound

Ultrasound of the liver is the imaging test that is usually ordered first, as it is easy and safe to perform. It cannot visualize the stricture if it is small, but in most cases it shows changes in the biliary tree that suggest biliary stricture, says the best surgical oncologist in Kolkata.

CT Scan & MRI

CT scan and MRI scan are capable of showing small strictures and possibly finding out what is causing the stricture.

ERCP

In a few cases, a procedure called ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) is needed. In this procedure, the doctor uses a special endoscope to examine the bile duct.

Surgery

Most cases of biliary stricture would request surgical intervention. Whether it is a benign structure or a malignant stricture surgery is the treatment of choice. The role of ERCP is mainly palliative or to tide over the crisis like cholangitis.

 If the stricture is benign a simple biliary bypass is all that is required. However if it is a cancerous stricture then Surgery would involve resection of the stricture and a biliary bypass, says the best cancer surgeon in Kolkata.