Intraoperative Cholangiogram is a process usually done prior to an individual having surgery for the removal of gallbladder known as cholecystectomy. This will usually be done by the surgeon placing a tiny catheter into the “cystic duct” and taking bile out of the gallbladder into the “common bile duct”. A dye which blocks X-rays will then be injected in the “common bile duct”, and X-rays are taken.

A patient also may need to have an Intraoperative Cholangiogram to: look for gallstones that might be in the common bile duct; and allow the surgeon to see the total “bile duct system” from the liver to the small intestine. By viewing these ducts before gallbladder removal it helps to make sure that the surgeon does not accidentally damage the “common bile duct”.

Complications that can occur with Intraoperative Cholangiogram may include: bleeding and infection; inflammation of the pancreas known as pancreatitis; and damage to the common bile duct.