The Function of Percuteneous Transhepatic Cholangio Drainage

The Percuteneous Transhepatic Cholangio Drainage(PTCD) is an interventional surgery under the guidance of a medical digital subtraction angiography system. A series of techniques for percutaneous transhepatic puncture of the bile duct and placement of a drainage tube to allow bile to flow outside the body or into the duodenum.

It is mainly performed for patients with biliary obstruction and obstructive jaundice caused by advanced ductal tumors.

For treating Obstructive Jaundice, under the guidance of the medical digital subtraction angiography system (the cath lab), a PTC needle is punctured into the biliary tract through the skin and part of the liver tissue. Then, the drainage tube or biliary stent is implanted into the biliary tract by exchanging the guide wire. To achieve the purpose of clearing the bile ducts and draining bile to treat diseases.

PTCD is an important treatment for obstructive jaundice caused by tumors and other diseases. For patients with indications for surgical resection, the PTCD may reduce jaundice to improve liver function, reduce the incidence of perioperative complications, and improve the safety of surgery.

For patients who lost the chance of surgical resection, PTCD can delay the progression of liver failure, improve the quality of life of patients in the end stage, and sometimes is the only way to treat obstructive jaundice.