title: [Palliative therapy of complex hilar biliary obstructions using self-expanding metal stents].
abstract: Implantation of self-expandable metal stents was planned for 21 patients (12 women, 9 men; mean age 64.7 +/- 11.6 [38-80] years) with malignant obstructive jaundice due to complex hilar biliary obstruction (Bismuth II: n = 5, Bismuth III: n = 13, Bismuth IV: n = 1, state after hepaticojejunostomy: n = 2). Stents were implanted bilaterally in 18 patients (one each on the right and left, n = 12; two stents on right, one stent on left, n = 6), one patient had three stents on one side, another had one unilateral stent. Thus there was a 93.3% success rate (46 of 49 planned stent implantations). The mean bilirubin level fell from 14.7 +/- 7.7 mg/dl before stent implantation to 3.9 +/- 5.4 mg/dl afterwards (P = 0.0001). One patient experienced late bleeding with haemorrhagic shock and consumption coagulopathy after a failed drainage attempt. She died despite superselective embolization, operative suturing of the puncture site, and wide-ranging intensive care measures. Procedure-related death rate was thus 4.8%, the 30-day death rate 9.5%. During the follow-up period, averaging 145 +/- 152 (16-529) days, jaundice recurred in six patients (30%) and was successfully treated by re-intervention in five. 13 patients died after a mean survival time of 98 +/- 119 (16-432) days. It is concluded from these data that self-expandable metal stents provide minimally invasive palliative treatment of complex biliary hilar obstruction in the type of case in which plastic stents are known to fail.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Strahlendiagnostik, Kliniken der Universität Marburg.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Werhand
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Schwerk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rothmund
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Klose
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000150:complications; D001651:Cholestasis, Extrahepatic / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D015607:Stents