The Outcome of Surgery for Biliary Atresia and the Current Status of Long-Term Survivors
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MASAKI NIO, RYOJI OHI,
SATORU SHIMAOKA, DAIJI IWAMI and
NOBUYUKI SANO
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Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-77
Between 1953 and 1995, 300 patients with biliary atresia underwent surgery at Tohoku University Hospital.
The 10-year survival of patients who were operated on in or before 1965 was 9%.But the survival rate went up to
61% in patients operated on between 1976 and 1985. Eighty-five patients including 2 who developed liver failure
after Kasai operation and underwent liver transplantation have survived more than 10 years. Eleven of them (13%)
have recurrent or persistent jaundice. Of the 30 patients who have survived more than 20 years ( 10 males and 20
females, age range; 20 to 41 years), 20 underwent hepatic portoenterostomy, 8 underwent hepaticoenterostomy and
the remaining 2 underwent hepatic portocholecystostomy. None of these patients has undergone liver
transplantation. Twenty-two patients have led near-normal lives. The remaining 8 patients have experienced some
troubles due to cholangitis, portal hypertension, intrahepatic gallstones and so on. Two of them are considered as
candidates for liver transplantation. While the majority of long-term survivors of biliary atresia have good quality
of life, close long-term follow-up is essential even in patients with biliary atresia aged 20 years or more.
Key word(s)---
biliary atresia; hepatic portoenterostomy; hepaticoenterostomy; quality of life; long-term follow-up
Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1997, 181, 235-244
Address for reprints:
Ryoji Ohi, M.D., Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryomachi,
Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-77, Japan.
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