[Percutaneous transhepatic drainage of the biliary tract for preoperative and palliative therapy of obstructive biliary lesions (author's transl)].

The percutaneous transhepatic catheterisation is an important method in the management of obstructive jaundice. The results of the percutaneous transhepatic drainage - external and internal - in 14 patients are reported. The technique is described and the difficulties, complications, indications and contraindications are discussed. The value of this procedure is the temporary decompression of the obstructed biliary tract prior to radical surgery or as a palliation in patients with non-operable tumors; the risk of the procedure is low.