hi carolyn
Sorry to hear you have been subject to cholangitis nd narrowing. Cholangitis can make you very sick nd is very painful. I've lost count of the amount of times 've had it since birth, ive had the roux-n-y surgery about18 years ago and it stopped my cholangitis for 4 years.Because they hook up a small loop of bowel to the hepatic bile ducts replacing your main bile duct you are more subject to cholagitis due to the bacteria inthe bowel however it does solve the problem of the narowing bile duct. I only came out ofhospital with cholangits two weeks ago and the reason I am having it is due to the third heaptic duct narrowing. I had surgery 4 years ago to reconstruct the two other hepatic ducts as they had narrowed off. I have been in pain for 15 years due to all this narrowing and te lack of knoledge f the doctors in New Zealand where I am from and their reluctance to do the right tests which would have showed this namely a PTC. Iam in England now presumably at the best liver hospital in Europe and they have messed up by again not doing the right tests or comunicating well and doing the wrong op and missng that I had severe narrowing in my hepatic duct. My surgeon isn't keen to operate unless I am desperate but I need to emotionally get over what I went through this last time. I am not ure why he is not keen as I have only spoken to his colleque (sorry spelling!)They have me permanet low dose antibiotics in thehope this will hlp with the chronic cholangitis that I have. I suspect my complications are quiet rare as they do roux-n-y surgery in liver transplants and those patients aren't in severepain every day. I do also have some changes in my pancreas and narrowin ing in the pancreatic duct due to all the surgeries Ive had (6 since birth).
I found the roux-n-y surgery not too bad though remember it is a big surgery. They do put you on spinal block the proper name of which I have forgotten. This helps a lot! In the end you may have no choicebut to have it as you could end up permantly jaundice and cholangitis can lead to cirrhosis and finally liver tansplant. I have found that with each surgery I find the pain worse to cope with but I suspect it may be to do with how many times I've been opened up.
If you want me to talk to you I can as I have free overseas calls on the tv/iternet thing we have so it won't matter how long I talk. Do ask the surgeon about what happened to me and how often the narrowing of the hepatic ducts happens after roux-n-y surgery, I suspect its rare but its worth asking I thnk.I know a lot about liver disease /cholangitis etc as its important to research this especially when the cause is rare as in my case.
best wishes Vickie