Bile Duct Treatment and Surgery

Our surgeons have special expertise in treating cancers and injuries of the bile duct. In fact, Mount Sinai is the leading referral center for bile duct injuries in New York City. When the bile duct is injured, we create a new connection from the bile duct to the intestine. The most common treatment, called hepaticojejunostomy, bypasses the injured portion of the bile duct and pancreas. Bile duct cancer is among the most difficult malignancies to treat. We have extensive experience in all aspects of the surgical treatment of this disease, including:

• Liver resection for tumors arising from the ducts inside the liver (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma)
• Combined liver and bile duct resection for tumors arising from the ducts as they enter the liver (hilar cholangiocarcinoma, Klatskin tumor)
• Resection of lower bile duct tumors, along with the pancreas and first part of the small intestine (pancreaticoduodenectomy, or Whipple procedure).

Biliary Bypass

Surgeons use this procedure to correct a blockage in the bile duct or pancreas that obstructs the normal flow of bile from the liver. This entails attaching either the gallbladder or the bile duct to another area of the small intestine, creating a new path around the blocked area.

Stent Placement

Sometimes a mass blocks the bile duct and, consequently, the normal flow of bile from the liver. The surgeon inserts a thin plastic tube, called a catheter, in the duct to bypass this blockage. The catheter can deposit the bile outside the body or directly into the small intestine.