What are the complications associated with biliary atresia?
Different types of problems develop at different times during your child’s lifetime. In the first year or two, the major complications are difficulty overcoming the nutritional problems related to the biliary atresia and cholangitis, which is an infection in the bile ducts. As your child grows, hardening and scarring of the liver might develop. If that happens, there is an increase in the blood flow through certain blood vessels. Hardening of the liver leads to portal hypertension, which is an increased blood flow to vessels that bypass the liver. This in turn leads to a number of complications. Some patients develop intestinal or esophageal bleeding. In this situation, blood vessels, especially in the esophagus or stomach become leaky. When that happens, your child may vomit a large amount of blood. This is always an emergency. In some cases, a special procedure is performed to stop the bleeding. Another complication is ascites, which is a collection of fluid in the belly. The treatme
