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Choledochojejunostomy is surgery that creates a direct connection between the common bile duct and the jejunum, a part of the small intestine. The connection allows bile to drain from the biliary system into the intestine when the normal pathway is blocked, damaged, or unsuitable. It is a type of biliary-enteric anastomosis. The procedure is often constructed using a Roux-en-Y loop of jejunum.
read more about choledochojejunostomy ...The procedure can be used to bypass selected benign or malignant obstructions of the distal common bile duct. It can also be performed for difficult recurrent bile duct stones, biliary strictures, injuries, or selected complications after liver transplantation or other hepatobiliary surgery. The goal is to provide durable internal drainage of bile and reduce pressure within the biliary tree. Endoscopic or percutaneous treatment is preferred for many conditions when it can provide safe and effective drainage without surgery.
The surgeon exposes a healthy segment of common bile duct and a loop of jejunum. The bowel is brought to the bile duct and an opening is created so the two structures can be joined with sutures. In a Roux-en-Y reconstruction, the jejunal limb is divided and reconnected downstream to direct bile into the intestine while limiting reflux. The operation can be performed through an open incision or, in selected centers and patients, with laparoscopic or robotic techniques.
Patients are monitored for pain, fever, jaundice, bowel function, liver-test changes, and signs of bile leakage or infection. Eating is resumed gradually as gastrointestinal function returns and the surgical team confirms that recovery is progressing appropriately. Drains can be used in selected cases to monitor fluid near the anastomosis. Recovery time depends on the underlying disease, whether the operation was open or minimally invasive, and whether other procedures were performed at the same time.
Possible complications include bile leak, bleeding, wound infection, intra-abdominal infection, cholangitis, bowel obstruction, or injury to nearby structures. Scar tissue can narrow the biliary-enteric connection months or years later and cause recurrent jaundice, stones, or cholangitis. Intestinal contents can reflux toward the biliary system in some patients. Recurrent obstruction or anastomotic stricture can require endoscopic, percutaneous, or surgical treatment.
No. Choledochojejunostomy connects the common bile duct to the jejunum, while hepaticojejunostomy connects a more proximal hepatic duct or hilar bile duct to the jejunum.
A Roux-en-Y limb creates a dedicated pathway for bile to enter the small intestine. It can reduce direct reflux of intestinal contents into the biliary tract.
Yes. Selected procedures can be performed laparoscopically or robotically by surgeons with advanced biliary reconstruction experience. Open surgery remains appropriate for many complex cases.
Yes. Anastomotic stricture is a recognized late complication and can lead to jaundice, cholangitis, or recurrent stones.
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Complications of biliary-enteric anastomoses. PubMed Central (PMC). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5450270/. Date Accessed August 12, 2026.
Palliative laparoscopic Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy as a feasible treatment option for malignant distal biliary obstruction. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35536400/. Date Accessed August 12, 2026.