The treatment for bile duct disorders depends on the type of disorder. It may include:

• Biliary atresia. Patients are treated with a type of surgery that drains bile from the liver when bile ducts are blocked. The operation is called the Kasai procedure or hepatoportoenterostomy. Some patients may require a liver transplant if the Kasai procedure is not effective.
  
  
• Alagille syndrome. Patients are treated with medications to increase the flow of bile from the liver and medications to relieve itching. Patients may be treated with vitamin injections if vitamins are not being absorbed properly by the body. Patients with liver failure may be treated with liver transplantation (the surgical replacement of a damaged liver with a healthy liver from a donor).
  
  
• Choledochal cysts. Patients may be treated with surgery to remove the cysts.
  
  
• Caroli disease. Patients may receive antibiotics to treat infection. They may also be treated with endoscope retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) to aid in the drainage of bile. Patients with liver failure may be treated with liver transplantation.
  
  
• Gallstones. Patients may be treated with ERCP to remove the stones from the bile duct. Certain patients may be treated with medication to dissolve cholesterol stones. Patients may also have their gallbladder surgically removed.
  
  
• Primary biliary cirrhosis. Patients may be treated with a thyroid hormone if thyroid function is low. They may receive medication to reduce itching. Patients with liver failure may be treated with liver transplantation.
  
  
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis. Patients may be treated with antibiotics to treat infection, and medications like urosdeoxycholic acid to reduce itching. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), an endoscopic procedure, or sometimes surgery may be performed to remove bile duct blockages. Patients with advanced liver disease may be treated with liver transplantation.
  
  
• Biliary stricture. This may be treated by widening the stricture using an endoscope (flexible tube containing an optical camera). It may also be treated with surgery to reestablish the flow of bile from the liver into the large intestine.
  
  
• Biliary dyskinesia. Patients may be treated with a surgical procedure called sphincterotomy. This involves cutting the sphincter muscle with a sphincterotome, a special plastic tube with a small wire attached to it. The tube is inserted and an electrical current is passed through the wire.
  
  
• Bile duct cancer. The main treatment for bile duct cancer is surgery. However, radiation and chemotherapy may be used if the cancer is not removed entirely with surgery.

Some types of bile duct disorders, particularly those that are present at birth, cannot be prevented. Bile duct disorders due to gallstones may be prevented by having the gallbladder surgically removed. This formation of gallstones may be prevented by eating a well-balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly.