How to Treat Biliary Atresia
Biliary atresia is a rare congenital disease that affects the liver and bile ducts. Infants are diagnosed with biliary atresia when a blockage is discovered in the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the galllbadder. Symptoms of the disease can include jaundice, weight loss, slow growth, irritability, dark urine, enlarged spleen, floating stools, foul-smelling stools, pale or clay-colored stools. If not treated early, the condition may lead to liver damage and cirrhosis of the liver. While the condition is not curable, it is treatable with surgery and diet. Infants who receive the surgery and manage the condition, can grow up to lead full, healthy lives. Here is a guide on how to treat biliary atresia.
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Things You'll Need
- Kasai procedure
- Special diet as directed by your doctor
- Vitamin supplements
- Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil
Instructions
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How to Treat Biliary Atresia
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Get the proper diagnosis. If your baby has any of the biliary atresia symptoms listed in the introduction, contact your doctor immediately and get a diagnosis. The typical tests for biliary atresia are abdominal x-ray, abdominal ultrasound, blood tests, hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan to determine if the bile ducts and gallbladder are working correctly, liver biopsy, and an x-ray of the bile ducts.
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Schedule the surgery. Once your baby has been diagnosed with biliary atresia, the doctor will recommend a Kasai procedure. The Kasai procedure, also called hepatoportoenterostomy, is an operation that creates an open duct so that bile can drain from the liver. During the procedure, the surgeon will remove any damaged ducts outside of the liver and replace them with a piece of the baby's intestine, creating a new duct. The new duct will allow bile to travel from the liver to the intestine.The surgery works best when performed on a child under three months but can still be performed on older babies. Early diagnosis is extremely important.The surgery will not cure biliary atresia but it will allow affected children to grow and enjoy reasonably good health. If the surgery is not successful, it may mean that there are blocked ducts inside the liver. If this is the case, a liver transplant will be needed.
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Follow the doctor's instructions for a special diet. Your doctor will give you guidelines to develop a special diet that provides balanced nutrition that will meet your child's specific needs. Any liver damage can cause loss of vitamins and protein. Give the child a vitamin supplement also. Consult a nutritionist for more ideas on how to create a healthy balanced diet for your child.
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Add three healthy snacks between meals. Snacks are a good way to give your child more necessary nutrition. A child with biliary atresia can not properly digest fats and has a faster metabolism than average children. The faster metabolism means that the child will need more calories in her diet.
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Add medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil to baby formula, food, and liquid. The MCT can add extra calories to support the child's growth.
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Follow all of the doctor's instructions for your child's recovery and the management of biliary atresia. This will give your child the best possible outcome. Nearly half of all babies who have the Kasai procedure will need a liver transplant before reaching 5 years of age. 85% of the children with biliary atresia will require a liver transplant before age 20. 15% will develop a manageable level of liver disease that can be treated without a liver transplant. Don't give up hope. If managed well, children affected with biliary atresia can grow up to live full, healthy lives.
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If a liver transplant is needed,
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