A new self-expandable and removable metal stent for biliary obstruction--a preliminary report.
We report our experience with a new self expandable metallic stent, a coil spring made from a nickel-titanium alloy. The super elastic characteristic of this metal offers a very strong radial force and previous dilatation of biliary strictures is not necessary. The stent is endoscopically inserted constricted over an introducing catheter, expanding spontaneously after release to its original 8 mm diameter. During the last six months, eleven stents were inserted in nine patients with pancreatic carcinoma to relieve jaundice. Another stent was percutaneously implanted treating a benign stricture in a patient with a choledochojejunostomy after a Whipple operation. Clinical improvement was achieved in all the patients except in one who died from liver metastases 5 weeks later. In two patients, although stents were obstructed after 2 and 4 months from insertion, they were easily removed by pulling their distal end through the endoscopic working channel. After a mean follow up of 4.5 months, patients had no evidence of biliary reobstruction. Although follow-up is short, these results are encouraging, and this new metallic stent seems to have several advantages over the current commercially available ones.
Goldin
E
E
Department of Gastroenterology, Hadassah University Hospital, School of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
Beyar
M
M
Safra
T
T
Globerman
O
O
Verstandig
A
A
Wengrower
D
D
Fich
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000497:Alloys; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009532:Nickel; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D014025:Titanium
D000497:Alloys; C040654:titanium nickelide; D009532:Nickel; D014025:Titanium