Bile Duct Damage

  Ten years ago I had my gallbladder removed and had complications that required a 5-month hospital stay.  I was told that the complications were due to liver damage during the surgery.  Until four months ago, I had had no other problems.
  I had started vomiting bile on a regular basis which led me to seek medical help.  I had several tests that determined my bile duct was damaged from the surgery I had ten years ago and was impending the flow of bile from my liver.  My doctors tried to insert a stint in the duct, but it is too damaged.
  The next suggestion was to replace the duct with a vein from my leg, however, I can't find any surgeons in the Lubbock, TX area willing to do the surgery.  What are my chances of being well after a surgery like this and what are my chances if I don't have the surgery.  Is there any literature out about this kind of problem.
  My bilirubin count continues to increase and I have gained 10 pounds within the last two weeks.  Your response will be greatly appreciated.
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Dear Cathy S,
Based on the information that you provide, I assume that you have a tight stricture of your bile duct which is causing obstruction.  Patients who have had complicatios of common bile duct stones or bile duct perforation during surgery may have this problem.  Usually, patients with bile duct strictures not amenable to stents have a surgical procedure in which the bile duct above the obstruction is attached directly to small intestine ( choledocojejunostomy).  I am unaware of the surgery that you describe being a standard of care. It is imperative that you rproblem be addressed quickly because of the risks of bile duct infection and cirrhosis.
I suggest that you contact your local medical school to determine if there is a local surgeon with expertise in bile duct surgery.  If you want we would be happy to see you in the Division of Gastroenterology at Henry Ford Health System.  We would determine the nature of the problem and then identify our surgeon with the most expertise for that specific problem. You can obtain an appointment with Dr. ben Menachem, one of our experts in bile duct disease, by calling our Physician referral Line at [phone].
This information is presented for educational purposes only,  always ask specific questions to your personal physician.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: bile duct stricture, jaundice
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