Percutaneous Cholangiography
subproject 5 – Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiography and Drainage in Open High-Field MRI
Endoscopic treatment of biliary disease using thin catheters under radiographic guidance was a milestone of minimally invasive treatment in internal medicine. Endoscopy allows nonsurgical removal of gallstones in an outpatient setting. If the approach via the stomach and duodenum is not possible, the bile ducts can be accessed through the skin and liver under X-ray guidance.
The first aim of this project is to establish an access to the bile ducts through the abdominal skin. The first step is to investigate technical handling of the puncture instruments under MRI guidance. This is initially done in synthetic models, so-called phantoms. The phantom developed in this project is highly complex and simulates the bile ducts and blood vessels in a gel matrix with a consistency that is comparable to the liver. In a second step, the method is investigated in animal experiments and then tests are performed with the MRI-compatible endoscope already available.
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