11. Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction
Bile does not flow freely from the liver into the intestine. Its release is controlled by a muscle called the Sphincter of Oddi which, when functioning normally, opens and closes allowing the right amounts of bile and pancreatic juice to make their way into the small intestine to digest food. If the muscle fails to work properly and doesn’t open when it’s supposed to, bile and pancreatic juice accumulate, causing abdominal pain in the right upper area, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. Patients may also experience watery or loose stools.
This condition is relatively rare in healthy people but is common in those who have had their gallbladders removed. A procedure to remove the malfunctioning sphincter is done during an ERCP and is found to be effective 70% of the time.
