Surgical and Medical Aspects of the Initial Treatment of Biliary Atresia: Position Paper

Biliary atresia, a fibro-obliterative disease of the newborn, is usually initially treated by Kasai portoenterostomy, although there are many variations in technique and different options for post-operative adjuvant medical therapy. A questionnaire on such topics (e.g., open vs. laparoscopic; the need for liver mobilisation; use of post-operative steroids; use of post-operative anti-viral therapy, etc.) was circulated to delegates (n = 43) of an international webinar (Biliary Atresia and Related Diseases—BARD) held in June 2021. Respondents were mostly European, but included some from North America, and represented 18 different countries overall. The results of this survey are presented here, together with a commentary and review from an expert panel convened for the meeting on current trends in practice.