Abstract Aims Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiography (PTC) enables delineation of, and intervention within the biliary system. As a highly specialized procedure, PTC requires specific peri-procedural workup. This project aimed to assess pre-, intra- and post-procedural care in line with the CIRSE (Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe) Standards of Practice; and the short-term procedure-specific complications associated with PTC in a tertiary HPB unit. Methods Data of patients who underwent PTC and its adjunct procedures between 1 January and 31 December 2023 was retrieved from the Interventional Radiology Unit register and HPB unit admission lists. Clinical notes, investigations, procedure details and imaging were reviewed in TrakCare and PACS. Data was analysed retrospectively using Microsoft Excel. Results 48 patients (age range 46 – 86 years) had a total of 138 procedures, a third being primary procedures. Most procedures (84.8%) were planned. All episodes of primary PTC were preceded by cross-sectional imaging. 89% of the index procedures were performed for confirmed or suspected cancers. 29% (13/45) of patients had 2 or more accesses to the biliary tree. 8 out of 24 endobiliary biopsies (33.3%) performed were non-diagnostic. 90-day survival following index PTC was 57%. A case of right hepatic artery branch injury requiring angioembolization was the most serious complication recorded. Conclusions Most of our PTCs are performed palliatively for elderly patients with advanced malignant disease, thus making peri-procedural optimization crucial. Management of patients undergoing PTC and its adjunct procedures requires a multidisciplinary approach. Local data suggest fair procedure-related short-term complication profile comparable with CIRSE Standards.
Adepoju et al. (Fri,) studied this question.