The Pulse | Monday, December 3, 2018

Word of the Week: Sphincter of Oddi

To kick off December, we’re shining a light on “Sphincter of Oddi” as this week’s Word of the Week. As always, all of the terms and definitions are sourced from our very own SGNA GI/Endoscopy Nursing Review Course Certification Study Manual, 3rd Edition (2016).

Sphincter of Oddi: Arrangement of smooth muscles surrounding common bile duct pancreatic duct and Ampulla of Vater.

• Functions
  • Regulates flow of bile and pancreatic juices
  • Inhibit backflow of bile into pancreatic duct
  • Prevent reflux of intestinal contents into the ducts
• Origin
  • The sphincter was first described by Ruggero Oddi in 1887. Oddi was known for his extensive research on the physiology of dogs and had made detailed histological examinations of humans, as well as many other species.