Common Bile Duct Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment Approaches

Taking Care of Bile Duct Disorders in Florida

Dr. Vladimir Donchev, an experienced, skilled, licensed, and esteemed surgeon for bile duct and gallbladder disorders, sees patients daily at his practice in Margate, FL. Our doctor wants to discuss the more common bile duct disorders, how he diagnoses diseases of the bile ducts, pancreas, and liver, and available treatment options.

What are the More Common Bile Duct Disorders?

The bile ducts connect with the biliary system, which includes the liver, the gallbladder, and the small intestine. When organs require bile and the ducts cannot deliver, there is a problem. Imagine the bile ducts as a canal where bile travels between the abovementioned organs.

Our doctor/surgeon in Margate, FL, explains that the whole bile duct and gallbladder system is complex, complicated, and a fantastic part of your body that has multiple functions. Your bile ducts send acids and enzymes from the liver and pancreas that the body needs to break down the foods you eat, such as fats and proteins.

Some of these more common short and long-term conditions of the bile ducts include the following. 

Liver

• Fatty liver disease
• Hepatitis
• Cirrhosis
• Liver cancer
• Liver failure

Pancreas

• Pancreatitis
• Pancreatic cyst
• Pancreatic cancer
• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

Arriving at a Diagnosis

Our doctor schedules a physical examination at his office and reviews your and your family's medical history. The doctor may order bloodwork, including tests of enzyme levels and a liver panel. You may have to give a urine and stool sample. Cat scans and MRIs are helpful, as are endoscopic tests that give our doctor a closer view of the pancreas, liver, and bile ducts. Our doctor may obtain a biopsy of suspicious tissue areas for cancer during your endoscopic test.  

Treatment Approaches

Your treatment of choice depends on your diagnosis after all testing is complete. Our doctor may or may not order the following approaches. One thing is certain: most patients must change their lifestyle to get better, which is why we want to know about your lifestyle. Other treatment options include,

• Antibiotics
• Surgery
• Antivirals
• Enzyme supplementation
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
• Tumor removal surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• Immunotherapy
• Other cancer treatments, as indicated
• Select and proven herbal supplements like milk thistle and turmeric
• Avoid smoking
• Lose weight as indicated
• Reduce or quit alcohol consumption

Help for Your Liver, Bile Ducts, and Pancreas in Florida

If you seek a skilled surgeon with expertise in bile duct and gallbladder disorders, please call Dr. Donchev at 754-220-8100 at his office in Margate, FL. If you have pancreatic, gallbladder, liver, or bile duct health problems, you are in excellent hands with this esteemed Florida surgeon who can make every attempt to help you heal your bile duct problems.