Biliary Drainage is surgical intervention implied to relieve obstruction to bile flow by drainage it into external to body by inserting a tube with multiple holes through skin into bile duct via liver also called as percutaneous transhepatic drainage .It is XRay guided and can be performed as a treatment or before some surgery to relieve obstruction.

Biliary drainage is often accompanied by a procedure called stenting. It is nothing but an attempt to drain bile continuously by keeping plastic or metallic drainage tubes outside the body connected to the Drainage bag. It is done when continuous drainage is required.

Bile is secreted and stored by Gallbladder. It is responsible for digestion of fatty acids. Bile duct carries bile into the first part of the small intestine i.e duodenum. Any abnormality in bile transport can result in accumulation of bile into bile duct and eventually Gallbladder and Liver get involved.

This treatment is designated to relieve biliary obstruction which will cause symptoms such as Fever, Yellowing of skin, eyes and nails i.e Icterus, Pale stools, Dark urine, Abdominal Pain, Itching due to accumulated bile. Eventually appetite of a person will decline over time. Sometimes Bile duct ruptures and can cause infection which can prove fatal.

It is done when bile duct is completely blocked or it is narrowed like arteries in Atherosclerosis in condition such as
-Gall bladder: Stones or Carcinoma of Gallbladder
-Liver: Infection of liver such as Hepatitis B, C ,Carcinoma of liver or Liver Cirrhosis causing enlargement of liver and pressure on bile duct
-Pancreas: Inflammation or Carcinoma of head of pancreas
-Bile duct: Inflammation or Injury to bile duct itself

If Infection accompanies obstruction it can be life threatening if not treated in time.