[Better results with early surgical intervention in biliary atresia. Icterus in infants older than 14 days should be investigated!].

The average survival of patients with biliary atresia that remains untreated is 12 months. Early portoenterostomy, and subsequent liver transplantation if necessary, have improved survival dramatically. The success rate after portoenterostomy is inversely related to age at primary operation, and the results after liver transplantation are best in children who receive the transplant after the age of one year. Thus, early portoenterostomy will buy time and bring the patient into a group with a better prognosis if liver transplantation is performed later. Among infants older than two weeks of age with neonatal jaundice, patients with conjugated hyperbilirubinemia must be identified and referred for investigation. In this case ultrasonography is most important for discovering biliary atresia.