What is the outcome for children with Biliary Atresia?
If left untreated, the result of blocked bile flow is damage to the liver such that few children survive beyond the age of two. When bile flow is only partly restored by surgery, the complications of cirrhosis will gradually develop.
If the Kasai procedure is successful in draining the liver and returning the bilirubin back to normal, children may live many years with normal growth and activities. Some will grow into adulthood and some may never need a transplant.
More often, despite successful surgery, slow, progressive damage to the liver continues. When progressive cirrhosis occurs, it will eventually require liver transplantation.
Liver transplantation plays an important role in the long-term treatment of biliary atresia. Pediatric liver transplantation has evolved into a highly successful therapy and now offers significant hope for all children born with biliary atresia.