Percutaneous Transhepaic Biliary Drainage is effective in palliative management of Malignant Obstructive Jaundice

Abstract

Malignant obstructive jaundice is most commonly caused by Pancreatic, gall bladder and biliary tract malignant pathologies. Minimally invasive procedures like Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage (PTBD) plays an important role in the management of these patients. It is most often used as a palliative procedure, aiming to relieve the symptoms (pruritis, cholangitis etc.) and improve the quality of life and also reduces the morbidity associated with the disease, although it is not going to alter the basic disease prognosis. It is a safe & cost effective method of biliary drainage in obstructive jaundice. Here we discuss the indications, technique, contraindications and complications of the PTBD procedure performed in patients with malignant biliary obstruction.

The risk of complications is far too out weighed by the advantage achieved by establishment of definitive biliary decompression.