Internal-External Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage for Patients with Malignant Obstructive Jaundice

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of internal-external percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (IEPTBD)for patients with malignant obstructive jaundice.
Methods: During the period of January 2008 and July 2013,internal-external drainage was performed in 42 patients with malignant obstructive jaundice. During theprocedure, if the guide wire could pass through the occlusion and into the duodenum, IEPTBD was performed.External drainage biliary catheter was placed if the occlusion was not crossed. Newly onset of infection, degreeof bilirubin decrease and the survival time of patients were selected as parameters to evaluate the effect ofIEPTBD.
Results: Twenty newly onset of infection were recorded after procedure and new infectious rate was47.6%. Sixteen patients with infection (3 before, 13 after drainage) were uncontrolled after procedure, 12 ofthem (3 before, 9 after drainage) died within 1 month. The mean TBIL levels declined from 299.53 umol/L beforedrainage to 257.62 umol/L after drainage, while uninfected group decline from 274.86 umol/L to 132.34 umol/Lp(P < 0.5). The median survival time for uninfected group was 107 days, and for infection group was 43 days (P< 0.05).
Conclusions: The IEPTBD drainage may increase the chance of biliary infection, reduce bile drainageefficiency and decrease the long-term prognosis, and the external drainage is a better choice for patients withmalignant obstructive jaundice need to biliary drainage.