Bile Duct Diseases

Prevention

If you have gallstones, you can prevent bile duct blockage and serious infection (ascending cholangitis or cholecystitis) by having your gallbladder removed. This is done using small incisions in the abdomen, in a surgery called laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

If you are overweight or have high cholesterol, you are at higher risk of developing gallstone. To avoid trouble, work toward a healthy weight through diet and exercise. Women who take birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy are at higher risk of gallstones and may factor this risk in their decision to use these medications.

Although cholangiocarcinoma is uncommon, risks associated with developing it include smoking, eating a high carbohydrate diet and having gallstones.

Certain parasite infections ( Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini, also known as Chinese liver fluke) can increase the risk of bile duct infections and cancers. If you travel to Southeast Asia, eat fish only if it is well cooked. If you do eat undercooked fish while traveling in this area, ask your doctor for a stool parasite test, especially if you have symptoms of weight loss or diarrhea.

Treatment

To treat a gallstone blockage accompanied by signs of persistent pain or infection, a gastroenterologist or surgeon can remove stones in the bile duct using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The endoscope cuts through the base of the common bile duct, allowing a stone to pass through. In some cases the endoscope may be used to remove the stone using wire loops. Doctors recommend that anyone with a bile duct blockage from a gallstone have his or her gallbladder removed to prevent another blockage.

This same procedure can widen an area of scarred bile duct (a stricture) by inserting and expanding a wire coil (called a stent) within the duct.

It's rare to find bile duct cancer early, but if it is found early, it can be treated with surgery. When cancer is more advanced, surgery cannot totally remove the tumor. Surgical procedures can help cancer patients feel better, even if they cannot provide a cure. Surgery can reroute the bile duct to allow better drainage. Radiation treatments can help to shrink, but not cure, a bile duct tumor.