Background: Endoscopic transpapillary stenting is commonly performed in patients with obstructive jaundice caused by a biliary stricture. Although the plastic stent (PS) is widely used for biliary drainage because of the low-cost and easy procedure, patency is short after placement in the bile duct because of the small diameter. Dysfunction of PS is primarily caused by biliary sludge that forms as a result of bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation on the inner surface of the stent. It is well known that silver ions have excellent antibacterial activity against a wide range of microorganisms.
Objective: This review provides an overview and perspective of the significance of silver-coated biliary stents.
Methods: We collected literature regarding silver-coated biliary stents, reviewed the current research/development status and discussed their possible usefulness.
Results: To date, several in vivo/vitro studies evaluated the patency of silver-blended or silver-coated biliary stents. These studies suggested that the silver coating on a PS was likely to prolong the patency period.
Conclusion: The development of biliary stents using silver is expected to prolong stent patency and prevent frequent stent replacement.
Keywords: Biliary stent; biliary obstruction; biofilm; silver coating.