DESCRIPTION

This illustration is based on a laparoscopic cholecystectomy with intraoperative cholangiography that I observed and sketched in the OR. While the gallbladder is removed during the procedure, cholangiography allows surgeons to visualize the biliary ducts and identify obstructions not visible from the surgical field alone.

In this case, contrast injected through a catheter in the cystic duct revealed a distal biliary obstruction, which was later addressed with an ERCP. For the final piece, I focused on the cholangiogram view—highlighting the catheter, inflated occlusion balloon, and contrast flow through the biliary system. By illustrating an imaging perspective unavailable to direct surgical view, this piece reflects how intraoperative imaging guides clinical decision-making.