Nonoperative management of biliary obstruction.

Nonoperative therapy of biliary obstruction is a viable alternative to surgical therapy, particularly in patients with malignant obstruction, in whom prognosis is generally poor. Radiologic techniques can now define the extent and etiology of biliary obstruction, provide palliative drainage, and allow derivative nonoperative procedures to be performed. This chapter provides an introduction to the role the interventional radiologist may play in the therapy of patients with obstructive jaundice.