Surgical Progress

Abstract

The surgery of congenital malformations of the biliary system has undergone a revolutionary change during the past decade. Although Kasai''s hepatic portoenterostomy operation for biliary atresia is the most dramatic example, radical departures from conventional surgical treatment are advocated for choledochal cyst, Caroli''s disease, congenital perforation of the bile ducts and biliary hypoplasia. A description of the lesions responsible for obstructive jaundice in the early months of life, the standard treatment and the new operative procedures currently proposed for congenital anomalies of the biliary tract are reviewed.