OPS-Code 3-70b.2:

A special test was used to evaluate how well your small intestine is reabsorbing bile acids.

Bile acids are an important component of bile.Among other things, bile fluid helps with the digestion of fats in food. Furthermore, certain waste materials can be eliminated via the bile fluid. Bile fluid is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. When the bile fluid is needed for digestion, it is guided from the gallbladder into the intestines via a duct.

Bile acids are released into the upper section of the intestines along with the bile. This section is called the small intestine. Not all of the bile acids are subsequently excreted in the stool (feces). Most bile acids are reabsorbed in the small intestine and transported back to the liver.

A radioactive substance is swallowed for the purpose of this test. The radioactive substance reaches the small intestine via the stomach and is absorbed there in the same way as bile acids. The test then measures how much of the radioactive substance is absorbed by the small intestine within a specific time period. A camera or a gamma probe for measuring radiation is used for this purpose. If the small intestine is absorbing a smaller quantity of bile acids than normal, the body will also contain a smaller quantity of the radioactive substance.