Dr. Mark Fraiman | Bile Duct Injuries

Though cancers of the liver and pancreas are not the most common, they are among the deadliest. Most of the time, patients are asymptomatic until the cancer is in a late stage, when it has spread to include a large part of the organ or has metastasized to other parts of the body.

Because of the challenges of early diagnosis of hepatobiliary disease, specialized and expert treatment become essential for patients who have been diagnosed. The Cancer Institute is one of the few facilities in the region with the expertise to perform the complex Whipple surgery, a procedure that removes the head and neck of the pancreas.

Common Bile Duct Injuries

The Hodes Comprehensive Liver and Pancreas Center at St. Joseph has a highly experienced team of gastroenterologists and radiologists who perform the blood tests, diagnostic imaging and biopsies needed to diagnose liver and pancreatic cancer. Our skilled doctors can make all the difference in making an early diagnosis and starting an effective treatment plan.

Injuries to the common bile duct are most frequently the result of injury during the performance of a cholecystectomy. The incidence is under 1 % but has remained fairly constant for some time.

Complex injuries identified at the time of surgery can usually be repaired during the same hospitalization if recognized early. Injuries that present in a delayed fashion will require non-operative drainage procedures with a delayed repair, usually 2 to 3 months after the injury occurred.

Reconstruction involves performing a biliary diversion to a portion of the small intestine (Roux-N-Y hepatojejunostomy).

Reconstruction should be performed by surgeons with a large experience with this injury.

» Read more about Bile Duct Injuries.

Learn More About Pancreatic Cancer »

Learn More About the whipple procedure »