A method for collection of bile in the conscious sheep.

A method to collect bile directly from the hepatic duct is described for use in the sheep. The technique is a combination of the intestinal re-entrant cannulae and a catheter from the duodenal lumen to the hepatic duct. The cystic duct is ligated near its junction with the common bile duct. The catheter is fixed in the proximal visible end of the hepatic duct. One plastic cannula is fixed to the duodenum opposite to the opening of the common bile duct and the other is fixed in the same way about 15 cm posterior to the first one. The two plastic cannulae fixed together with a plastic tube serve as an extra-abdominal anastomosis. During the collection periods the bile duct catheter is passed through an opening in the wall of the connection tube into a collection bag that is fixed to the plastic cannulae. Between the collection periods the catheter ends in the lumen of the anastomosis.