PERCUTANEOUS TRANSHEPATIC BILIARY DRAINAGE USING COLOR DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY

We performed percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage using color Do ppler ultrasonography to decrease the complications of percutaneous tr anshepatic biliary drainage. Thirty patients underwent this procedure. We performed this method after identifying the second and third branc hes of the intrahepatic bile ducts, including the portal and the hepat ic veins. The success rate of percutaneous transhepatic biliary draina ge using color Doppler ultrasonography. ultrasonography was 100% with one puncture in 29 patients and with two punctures in only one patient . We never encountered severe complications, such as bleeding, infecti on, hemobilia, or pseudoaneurysm formation in the hepatic artery. This method was safer and easier than the usual method using B-mode ultras onography only.