To compare outcomes of two common surgical procedures for children with liver complications due to Alagille syndrome, researcher Kasper Wang, MD, associate professor of surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC and pediatric surgeon, CHLA is driving a collaborative study with colleagues from 15 hospitals and research centers across the country.
Alagille syndrome is a congenital disorder that can interfere with the development of the liver’s bile ducts, leading to buildup of bile that can damage the liver and cause other complications.
“Since the volume of cases is low, no single institution has sufficient experience to know which approach is preferable, or under what conditions one may be better than the other. A multi-center study is the only way we can gather enough data to compare the approaches.”
Kasper Wong, MD – Associate professor of surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC; pediatric surgeon, CHLA
“There are currently two surgical procedures being used to enable bile elimination, but there are no solid data to tell clinicians which procedure is better,” explained Wang. “This trial should sort that out and help surgeons provide better care for these children.”