long term follow-up of kasai operation for biliary atresia: a single center experience

children who are operated for biliary atresia by the kasai procedure have approximately 30% chance of survival for 5 years. in an attempt to define the role of this operation for biliary atresia, the surgery records of the past 15 years were reviewed. the aim of this study was to assess the benefits achieved from this operation in infants with biliary atresia. this study was conducted in the department of pediatric surgery taleghanei medical center from 1986 to 2000. a total of 36 cases, 15 boys and 21 girls were reviewed retrospectively. all the operations were performed uniformly by kasai procedure by three investigators. data regarding patient history, clinical presentation, laboratory and radiological features, operative finding, complication and mortality were collected and retrospectively studied. in these series 36 cases were classified as three groups. group a, represented the successful category after the kasai operation (11 patients, 30.5%) characterized by survival of more than 3 years and no jaundice. group b (2 patients, 5.5%) was defined as survival of more than 3 years, but with jaundice, and group c (23 patients 63.8%) was defined by survival of less than 3 years (this group was further divided to subgroups). it seems that jaundice is the main prognostic factor after operation.