What are the treatment options for biliary atresia?

Unfortunately, there are no easy treatments for biliary atresia. Surgery is the treatment of choice for a newborn that is suspected of having the disease. If jaundice persists, doctors will bring the child to surgery to examine the bile ducts at which point they can confirm whether or not they have made the correct diagnosis. For this surgery, the baby is sedated and the physician will make an incision in the abdomen. If biliary atresia is confirmed, the surgeon will usually move on to a Kasai procedure immediately during which the bile ducts are removed entirely and the intestinal tract is brought to connect directly to the liver. This is done to allow the bile to drain. If the Kasai surgery is unsuccessful, the next step is a full liver transplant.