A bile duct leak occurs when a bile duct is cut or breaks open, spilling bile into the abdomen. Bile is created in the liver and used by the body to help digest fat. After bile has done its job, it’s stored in an organ called the gallbladder. There are three ducts that carry bile to the small intestine. Bile ducts can leak as a complication of certain surgeries. Leaks can also come from high impact hits to the abdomen that may be caused by events like car accidents. When bile leaks into the abdomen, it can cause pain and lead to infection.
Common signs of a bile duct leak include:
The main cause of a bile duct leak is surgery involving the liver or gallbladder. A bile duct leak can also occur due to a traumatic injury to the abdomen.
Risk factors for bile duct leaks include:
Your doctor will use your medical history, physical exam findings, and certain tests to confirm a diagnosis of bile duct leaks. Laboratory tests will look at proteins in the liver and see if their levels are normal or abnormal. A hepatobiliary (HIDA) scan allows a doctor to see where bile is going in your body. In order to do a HIDA scan, a safe radioactive substance is injected into your arm. Pictures are taken with a camera that can detect radioactive material. As the substance makes its way from the liver to the small intestine, a doctor will be able to see if any bile is leaking. Lastly, a doctor may opt for taking a sample of fluid from your abdomen. The presence of bile in any abdominal fluid shows that bile ducts are leaking.
While bile duct leak complications can be serious, they are highly treatable, especially with a team of experienced medical providers.
Complications can include:
The standard treatment for bile duct leaks is called an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Using an x-ray, a doctor puts an endoscope – a flexible tube- through the mouth down into the abdomen. Using a dye that allows them to see the bile ducts, the doctor uses the endoscope to place a stent – a small tube- to stop the bile duct leak. The procedure is done while patients are sedated. It is fast and doesn’t require a long hospital stay.