[Surgical management of malignant obstruction (author's transl)].

Malignant obstructive jaundice is invariably a disease endangering life. Since there are no prodromal symptoms, nearly one-fourth of the patients are primarily inoperable when seen, and in one-fifth is the tumor resectable. Even in operable cases success is moderate; the highest and longest rates of survival can be achieved with papillary carcinoma. A substantial chance lies in the decisive improvement and shortening of preoperative diagnostics.