bile reflex

  Doctor thank you for your response on aug 30th regarding pain, nausea, belching.  my ph readings were between 6.5 and 7.6. so it is possible that it is bile reflux.  where does the bile come from? how is it treated?
____________
Dear Alice,
Bile is made by the liver and is secreted down the common bile duct into the duodenum.  Usually, bile flows down the small intestine.  For some patients, bile refluxes into the stomach and esophagus, causing irritation of the inner lining.  In addition to the high pH one needs to show that other bile constiuents e.g. bile acids or bilirubin are present in the esophagus.  If your problem is bile acid-induced esophagitis, then you would require surgery to treat the problem.  The surgery consists of a Roux-en_y procedure that changes the site at which bile enters the samll intestine.  The bile duct is positioned at a greater distance from the stomach, thereby preventing reflux into the stomach and esophagus.
This information is presented for educational purposes only.  Always consult your personal physician for specific medical questions.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords; esophagitis, bile reflux
0.2