5-518.01:

You have had an operation on the opening of your common bile duct. It involved widening the opening of your common bile duct.

Bile is produced in the liver. The bile is transported via bile ducts within the liver towards the gallbladder. The bile is collected in the gallbladder. When you eat something, bile is released into the intestine. This is what the common bile duct to the intestine is for. The common bile duct opens up into the first section of the intestine. At the opening there is a sphincter.

You had the operation done as part of a laparoscopy. A laparoscopy first involves making a small incision in the abdomen. A tube with a camera is pushed through this incision into the abdomen. This camera sends pictures of the inside of the abdomen to a screen. Tools such as forceps and scissors can be inserted through other small incisions in the abdomen.

During the treatment the opening of your common bile duct was widened. Special instruments can be used to do this. These instruments can be inserted into the common bile duct.