Patient Education Cancer of the Pancreas: A Care Guide | Page 16

Other Procedures
The stent can then be inserted into
the bile duct. Sometimes the stent
becomes clogged after several months
and needs to be cleared. Larger stents
can be placed in the small intestine if
it is in danger of being blocked.
If the stent cannot be placed, you
may go to interventional radiology,
where they will place an external
drain called a biliary drainage tube.
Stent
Bilirubin passes from the liver through
the gallbladder to the intestine. If
the common bile duct is blocked by
a tumor, the bilirubin cannot pass
through normally. Pain and digestive
problems can occur. Blockages may
also cause the level of bilirubin in
the blood, stool, or urine to be very
high (yellow jaundice). A blockage
can be treated with surgery or stent
placement.
A stent (small tube) may be placed
during an endoscopy. The endoscope
is passed through the mouth and
stomach into the small intestine.
Celiac Axis Block (CAB)
Sometimes pancreatic cancer involves
nerves, causing severe chronic pain.
This procedure can be done in
surgery or interventional radiology
and may be effective in pain relief.
15