About Biliary Stricture
Key Highlights
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Minimally invasive procedure performed endoscopically, avoiding major surgery.Effectively relieves symptoms like jaundice, itching, and abdominal pain.Restores normal bile flow, preventing liver damage and serious infections like cholangitis.Can be both diagnostic (to identify the cause) and therapeutic (to treat the stricture) in one session.Typically involves a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery compared to surgical alternatives.
Who is this surgery for?
- Obstructive jaundice (yellowing of skin/eyes) due to a suspected bile duct narrowing.
- Unexplained abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant.
- Recurrent episodes of cholangitis (bile duct infection).
- Abnormal liver function tests suggesting bile duct obstruction.
- Strictures caused by conditions like primary sclerosing cholangitis, chronic pancreatitis, or post-surgical injury (e.g., after gallbladder surgery).
- Suspected benign or malignant strictures requiring tissue sampling (biopsy) or stenting for palliation.
How to prepare
- Fasting for 6-8 hours before the procedure to ensure an empty stomach.
- Disclosure of all current medications, especially blood thinners (like aspirin, warfarin, clopidogrel), which may need to be paused.
- Informing the doctor of any allergies, particularly to iodine or contrast dye.
- Arranging for a responsible adult to drive the patient home after the procedure due to sedation.
- Undergoing pre-procedure blood tests to assess liver function and clotting ability.
Risks & possible complications
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) is the most common complication.
- Bleeding or perforation (a tear) at the treatment site.
- Infection of the bile ducts (cholangitis).
- Adverse reaction to the sedative medications used during the procedure.
- Stent-related issues, such as migration (moving), blockage, or tissue overgrowth.
- Rarely, damage to the intestine or bile ducts requiring surgical intervention.
Recovery & hospital stay
- Patients are monitored in a recovery area for 1-2 hours until sedation wears off.
- A sore throat from the endoscope is common and resolves in a day or two.
- Patients can usually resume a normal diet the same day, starting with clear liquids.
- Mild abdominal discomfort or bloating is normal; severe pain, fever, or black stools should be reported immediately.
- Most patients can return to normal activities within 24-48 hours, avoiding strenuous exercise for a few days.
- Follow-up appointments are crucial to monitor stent function and ensure the stricture remains open.
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Typical hospital stay: 1-2 days
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Expected recovery time: 1-2 weeks
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are considering biliary stricture in Turkey, these questions and answers can help you make a confident, informed decision.
Top-rated hospitals in Turkey with gastroenterology departments and experienced surgeons are ideal for this procedure. Use MediFyr to compare facilities, reviews, and doctor profiles before you decide.
Look at the doctor’s years of experience, hospital association, patient reviews, and how often they perform biliary stricture. MediFyr helps you compare gastroenterologists and book consultations online.
The overall cost depends on hospital category, surgeon’s experience, room type, implant or device used (if any), length of stay, tests, and post-operative care. Our team can help you get cost estimates from multiple hospitals before you decide.
Procedure cost in other countries
Here is an overview of how the estimated cost, hospital stay, and recovery time for biliary stricture compare across other countries where we have data.
I'd been to three other doctors...
I'd been to three other doctors for this nagging pain and fatigue. Everyone said it was stress. Dr. Latha at MGM was the first one who actually sat and listened, really listened, to everything I was saying. She ordered a specific test the others hadn't, and it turned out to be something quite rare. She explained it all to me in plain Tamil, drew diagrams on a notepad. I was scared, but she laid out a clear plan. It's been a long road, but I finally feel like we're getting somewhere.
Gastroenterologists for Biliary Stricture
Explore experienced gastroenterologists who regularly perform biliary stricture and provide pre- and post-operative care in Turkey.
- 10 Years Experience
- Gastroenterologist
Liv Hospital Ankara
- 10 Years Experience
- Gastroenterologist
Liv Hospital Ankara
- 10 Years Experience
- Gastroenterologist
Liv Hospital Ankara
- 10 Years Experience
- Gastroenterologist
Liv Hospital Ankara
- 10 Years Experience
- Gastroenterologist
Liv Hospital Ankara
- 10 Years Experience
- Gastroenterologist
Liv Hospital Ankara
- 10 Years Experience
- Gastroenterologist
Liv Hospital Ankara
- 10 Years Experience
- Gastroenterologist
Liv Hospital Ankara