Hepaticportoenterostomy as surgical therapy for biliary atresia.

The Kasai I and Suruga I procedures are the most commonly reported surgical procedures used for the correction of biliary atresia. Clinical results are similar for these two procedures, but the Suruga I procedure is associated with a lower incidence of death due to ascending cholangitis. Postoperative care is an important consideration in choosing between these two procedures. The hepaticportocholecystostomy is associated with a decreased incidence of ascending cholangitis, however, it is only an option for a select group of patients. For all procedures mentioned, the level of transection of the bile duct remnant is crucial and pathologic confirmation of patency of the bile duct is helpful.