Temporary placement of stent grafts in postsurgical benign biliary strictures: a single center experience.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the effect of temporary stent graft placement in the treatment of benign anastomotic biliary strictures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Nine patients, five women and four men, 22-64 years old (mean, 47.5 years), with chronic benign biliary anastomotic strictures, refractory to repeated balloon dilations, were treated by prolonged, temporary placement of stent-grafts. Four patients had strictures following a liver transplantation; three of them in bilio-enteric anastomoses and one in a choledocho-choledochostomy. Four of the other five patients had strictures at bilio-enteric anastomoses, which developed after complications following laparoscopic cholecystectomies and in one after a Whipple procedure for duodenal carcinoma. In eight patients, balloon-expandable stent-grafts were placed and one patient was treated by insertion of a self-expanding stent-graft.

RESULTS:

In the transplant group, treatment of patients with bilio-enteric anastomoses was unsuccessful (mean stent duration, 30 days). The patient treated for stenosis in the choledocho-choledochostomy responded well to consecutive self-expanding stent-graft placement (total placement duration, 112 days). All patients with bilio-enteric anastomoses in the non-transplant group were treated successfully with stent-grafts (mean placement duration, 37 days).

CONCLUSION:

Treatment of benign biliary strictures with temporary placement of stent-grafts has a positive effect, but is less successful in patients with strictures developed following a liver transplant.

• Authors: Ranjith Vellody, Jonathon M Willatt, Mohammad Arabi, Wojciech B Cwikiel
• Journal: Korean journal of radiology (Korean J Radiol) 2011 Nov-Dec Vol. 12 Issue 6 Pg. 708-13 ISSN: 2005-8330 [Electronic] Korea (South)
• PMID: 22043153 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Anastomosis, Surgical (adverse effects)
• Cholestasis (etiology, surgery)
• Constriction, Pathologic
• Device Removal
• Female
• Foreign-Body Migration
• Humans
• Liver Transplantation (adverse effects)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Postoperative Complications
• Stents
• Young Adult