A biliary obstruction is a blockage of the bile ducts. The bile ducts carry bile from the liver and gallbladder through the pancreas to the small intestine.
A biliary obstruction may be caused by a number of factors involving the bile ducts, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and the small intestine.
The majority of the cases of biliary obstruction are a result of gallstones, which means women are more likely to get biliary obstruction than men.
A biliary obstruction is a blockage of the bile ducts. The bile ducts carry bile from the liver and gallbladder through the pancreas to the duodenum, which is a part of the small intestine. Bile is a dark-green or yellowish-brown fluid secreted by the liver to digest fats. Much of the bile is released directly into the small intestine, and what remains is stored in the gallbladder.
After you eat, the gallbladder releases bile to help in digestion and fat absorption. Bile also helps rid the liver of waste products. Obstruction of any of these bile ducts is referred to as a biliary obstruction.
Many of the conditions related to biliary obstructions can be treated successfully. However, if the blockage remains untreated for a long time, it can lead to life-threatening diseases of the liver.
You have several types of bile ducts. The two types of bile ducts in the liver are intrahepatic and extrahepatic ducts.
Intrahepatic ducts are a system of smaller tubes within the liver that collect and transport bile to the extrahepatic ducts. The extrahepatic ducts begin as two parts, one on the right of the liver and the other on the left. As they descend from the liver, they unite to form the common hepatic duct. This runs directly toward the small intestine.
The biliary duct, or the duct from the gallbladder, also opens into the common hepatic duct. The bile duct from this point onward is known as the common bile duct or choledochus. Before emptying into the small intestine, the common bile duct passes through the pancreas.