PTBD full form in medical term is Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage. It is a procedure done to pass the liver bile blockage and make the flow of bile juices using the Biliary drainage tube. Bile juices play a vital role in breaking down fat content to make them easier to absorb by the body. The liver produces bile, and sometimes, the bile duct gets blocked by cancerous structures, and the bile starts to build up inside the bile duct, making the blockage issue even worse.
Because of this, you may feel pain around the liver area, and symptoms of Jaundice may appear. If this issue is not treated properly as soon as possible, it can become a life-threatening health problem. And the common procedure to treat this issue is Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage.
An interventional radiologist will perform the procedure using local anaesthesia. Using advanced imaging methods such as ultrasound, or x-ray, the radiologist will insert a needle through the liver directly into the bile duct. Then a tube or wire is passed by the needle to bypass the blockage, which allows the bile juices to flow externally into the small intestine. If the internal drainage can be achieved, then there is no need for an external bile bag.