Background: Although biliary expandable metallic stents (EMS) improve patency, they are unsuitable for primary biliary stenting. Although plastic tube stents without side holes (PWOS) are also reported to prolong patency, their efficacy remains controversial.
Goals: To evaluate clinical utility and relative advantages, we reviewed clinical results of three types of stents: plastic tube stents with side holes (PS), PWOS, and EMS.
Study: The 130 patients comprised 56 with pancreatic cancers, 26 with gallbladder cancers, 21 with bile duct cancers, and 27 with other malignant diseases. Plastic tube stents with side holes (10 French [Fr]), PWOS (10 Fr), and EMS (30 Fr) were inserted in 64, 28, and 38 cases, respectively.
Results: Overall cumulative stent patency rates for EMS and PWOS groups were significantly higher than that of PS. This was also the case with middle and lower biliary tract strictures and with pancreas cancers. In Japan, medical costs with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography ($631.00) divided by the mean patent period with PS, PWOS, and EMS were $8.80/d, $4.60/d, and $20.40/d, respectively.
Conclusion: We recommend PWOS for primary biliary stenting of middle and lower biliary strictures, especially those caused by pancreatic cancer, based on its lower price and sufficient patency without replacement after diagnosis of inoperability.