Language : English 中文 Tiếng Việt 日本 Bahasa
Language : English 中文 Tiếng Việt 日本 Bahasa

Jaundice

Jaundice Condition

What is Jaundice

Dr Lee Ser Yee
Senior Consultant Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgeon
MBBS (Singapore), MMed (Surgery), MSc (Research), FAMS

Jaundice (Hyperbilirubinemia) is a condition where the skin, whites of the eyes and mucous membranes turn yellow because of a high level of bilirubin.

Bilirubin, a yellowish- brown substance, is produced when the haemoglobin (red blood cells) is broken down and carried in the bloodstream to the liver where it is filtered and binds with bile. Bile is excreted into intestine and helps to digest oils and fat.

When bile or bilirubin cannot be excreted by the liver or its passage via the bile ducts to the intestines is blocked, it results in a build-up in the blood which gets deposited in the skin, excreted in the urine, leading to jaundice.

Signs of Jaundice

  • Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
  • Itchy skin (Pruritus)
  • Tea-coloured urine and Pale stools
  • Abdominal discomfort, pain, bloatedness
  • Others- loss of appetite and weight, fatigue

Causes of Jaundice

  • Obstruction to the flow of bile (Obstructive jaundice)
  • Diseases affecting bilirubin production (Hepatic jaundice)
    • Hepatitis – A, B, C
    • Autoimmune disorders
    • Medicines – NSAIDs, certain antibiotics, paracetamol
  • Damage the liver (Hepatic jaundice)
    • Liver cirrhosis
  • Excess destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis) (Pre-hepatic jaundice)
    • more bilirubin is produced than what the liver can handle

Evaluation

  • A full medical history and clinical evaluation
  • Blood Tests which would include liver function tests and tumour markers
  • Imaging -Ultrasound, CT, and MRI scans to confirm the cause
  • Endoscopy
    • Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
    • Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
    • Biopsy – if indicated

Treatments for jaundice depend on the cause identified. It is recommended to seek medical attention from a liver surgeon early.

Male General Surgeon
Singapore male Surgeon
Dr Lee Ser Yee

Senior Consultant Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgeon

MBBS, MMed (Surgery), MSc, FAMS, FRCSEd

Dr Lee Ser Yee is a Senior Consultant Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgeon with extensive experience in liver, pancreas and complex digestive conditions. Prior to private practice, he was a founding member and Senior Consultant at the Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery at Singapore General Hospital, where he also served as Director of the Laparoscopic Programme and Director of the Surgical Skills Training Programme. He further distinguished his training through dual fellowships in Advanced Laparoscopic HPB Surgery and Liver Transplantation at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center, as well as Complex Surgical Oncology training at the internationally recognised Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre
#08-07, 3 Mount Elizabeth, Singapore 228510
Tel: 6454 0054 | Fax: 6764 0054 | Email: ask@surgicalassociates.sg

Gleneagles Medical Centre
#05-01, 6 Napier Road, Singapore 258499
Tel: 6471 0054 | Fax: 6271 0054

Top