Objective To investigate feasibility and clinical application value of improved percutaneous transhepatic biliary internal-external drainage (PTBIED).Methods Consecutive patients from April 2007 to April 2010 with malignant obstructive jaundice were diagnosed by medical imaging or pathological confirmation whenever possible.The patients with proximal malignant biliary obstruction and intact inferior common bile ducts ＞ 3 cm in length,and a bilirubin of 70 μmol/L or higher,were included in the experimental group.The control group included patients with low malignant biliary obstruction,and those who met the criteria for the experimental group but refused to receive the altered method of PTBIED.The patients underwent traditional PTBIED in control group.The patients in the experimental group received the procedure as following:according to percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography,a biliary external drainage catheter was modified by adding side-holes.Then under fluoroscopic guidance,the loop tip of the modified biliary drainage catheter was positioned in the inferior common hepatic duct/common bile duct,while the additional side-holes were located in the expanded hepatic duct.Technical success rate,complications,hepatic function and white cell count (WBC) were recorded pre- and post-procedure.All patients were followed-up until death.A t-test was used to compare continuous variable data changes,the Chi-square test was used to compare categorical variable data in two groups,and survival time was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results Forty-six patients were included in the study,with 21 in the experimental group and 25 in the control group.The procedures were successfully performed in all patients in the two groups.There was no procedure-related death in the two groups.Symptoms were improved similarly after procedures in the two groups.The mean quantity of drained bile per day [experimental group (521 +136) ml/d,control group (606 + 159 ) ml/d,t =1.930,P ＞ 0.05],decrease of the serum total bilirubin after the procedures [ experimental group (87 ± 51 ) μmol/L,control group( 105 ± 66 ) μmol/L ( t =1.061,P ＞ 0.05 ) ] and the median survival time ( experimental group 7.7 months,control group 6.9 months,x2 =0.610,P ＞0.05 ) of the patients showed no statistically significant difference between two groups.The mean WBC amount of patients was higher after the traditional procedure [ ( 10.9 ±5.2) × 109/L] than before the procedure [ (7.8 ±2.9) × 109/L] in the control group ( t =3.606,P ＜ 0.05 ),but the converse change occurred in the experimental group [ pre-procedure (8.2 ± 3.4) × 109/L ],post-procedure [ (7.4 ± 2.6) × 109/L] ( t =2.649,P ＜ 0.05 ).No reflux of duodenal juice was observed in all patients of the experimental group,and 1 patient had infection of biliary tract.The reflux was observed in 11 patients of the control group after conventional PTBIED.Of them,8 patients had infection of biliary tract.Incidence rate of infection of biliary tract in the control group was higher than that in the experimental group( x2 =5.381,P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusions Improved PTBIED is convenient and feasible,and compared with traditional PTBIED,it can reduce the complications of infection of biliary tract.