Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Background: Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage is a procedure commonly used in malign and benign biliary pathologies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness, complication rates and results of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. Materials and Methods: 49 patients, to whom percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage was performed due to different malignant and benign pathologies between April 2018 and April 2020 in the interventional radiology de- partment of our hospital, were included in the study. 26 of the patients were male, and 23 were female. The ages of the patients ranged between 8 and 87, and the mean age was 62.18±15.8. External drainage catheter was inserted in 11 patients, and internal-external drainage catheter in 38 patients. Metallic stent was inserted in two patients. The efficiency of the procedures was evaluated according to the comparison of preprocedural and postprocedural direct and total bilirubin values and the improvement in clinical findings. Procedure-related early and late complications were obtained. Results: Technical success was achieved in all patients who underwent percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. The preprocedural and postprocedural total bilirubin median values were 16.2 mg/dl (0.6-30.5) and 6.3 mg/dl (0.7- 26.9), respectively. The preprocedural and postprocedural direct bilirubin median values were 11.9 mg/dl (0.3-15) and 4.3 mg/dl (0.2-15) , respectively. The decrease in the total and direct bilirubin values was found to be significant (p<0.001). Major and minor complications developed in 13 patients in the early and late stages. Conclusions: Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage is an efficient method in decompression of malignant biliary obstructions, palliation of the disease and treatment of benign biliary pathologies.