What am I looking at?
Visual recognition
Catheter with side holes above and below the block, looping from the skin through the duct into the bowel.
13-10
Internal-external biliary drainage catheter
Internal-external biliary drain
Three-panel learning framework
Recognition, context, and distinction
What does it do, and where will I see it?
Use & procedural context
Long multi-sidehole catheter crossing the obstruction into the duodenum, draining bile internally while a capped external limb preserves access for flushing and exchange. Typical procedural contexts include malignant obstruction, benign stricture, cholangitis, and routine drain exchanges.
What most clearly distinguishes it from similar devices?
Key distinctions
This catheter crosses the obstruction into the duodenum and has side holes on both sides of the narrowing, permitting internal drainage while retaining external access for management.