Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiogram And Percutaneous Biliary Drainage (PTC/PBD)
What is a PTC/PBD?
Is it an X-ray procedure in which a small tube is passed through your bile ducts in your liver and into your bowel.
What is it necessary?
A PTC/PBD is used to relieve a blockage in the bile ducts of the liver that lead to your bowel. It also may be used to find the bile ducts for surgery.
How is it done?
This exam will take place in the Cardiovascular Diagnostic Lab. The radiologist will inject X-ray dye through your right side and into your liver and bile ducts. After X-ray pictures are taken, the radiologist will place a small tube into one of the larger bile ducts so that blocked bile can drain out of the body.
What should you expect?
- You must not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the study except for your normal medications. Your doctor or nurse will tell you if you should stop taking any of your medications prior to the procedure.
- Please tell the doctor if you think you may be pregnant.
- You need to bring a list of all your medications with you to the hospital.
- A nurse will place an IV in your hand or arm so that you can receive fluids and medications.
- Your doctor will answer your questions and ask you to sign a consent form.
During the procedure:
- You will lie on an x-ray table with machines all around you. You will have a blood pressure cuff on your arm, a clip on your finger to make sure you are getting enough oxygen, and wires on your legs and arms to check your heart rate.
- The nurse will give you pain medication and a sedative, which will help you relax, before the procedure. The nurse will give you more medication if needed. You will feel relaxed, but you will be awake so that you can follow instructions.
- The area where the doctor will be working will be cleaned and shaved. You will be covered with sterile drapes from your shoulders to your feet.
- While using the X-ray, the radiologist will ask you to take a few deep breaths to see how much air your lungs can hold. This is needed to place the tube in the best way.
- The doctor will numb the site and then pass a small needle through the skin and into the liver to inject X-ray dye to see where to place the tube.
- The doctor may need to push hard on your right side when he puts in the catheter. Make sure you let the nurse know if you are feeling any pain.
- A small bag will be attached to the end of the tube to allow the bile to drain. If your doctor thinks it is okay, this bag may be taken off the next day. A small cap will be placed on the tube.
After the procedure:
- You will be taken on a stretcher to your room.
- You may feel some pain at the tube entry site for the next one or two days. The nurse will give you medication to ease the pain.
- The nurse will also tell you how to clean and care for your biliary tube.
