title: Long-term follow-up in patients with malignant biliary obstruction after percutaneous placement of uncovered wallstent endoprostheses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluation of the treatment of malignant obstructive jaundice by percutaneous insertion of uncovered stents.
  
  
  METHODS
  51 patients (35 men, 16 women) with inoperable malignant biliary obstruction underwent percutaneous placement of uncovered Wallstent biliary endoprostheses. A total of 65 endoprostheses were inserted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The technical success rate was 98%, and the procedure-related complications rate was 10%. Early complications rate within the first 30 days was 2%. The clinical success rate within the first 30 days was 98% and the 30-day mortality rate was 2%. The late complications rate was 16%. The overall stent occlusion rate was 18% at a mean of 288.4 days. Mean survival time of the 50 patients was 214 days, and the mean total duration of hospital stay was 9.8 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The advantages of uncovered Wallstent endoprostheses justify their placement in patients with inoperable malignant obstructive jaundice since patients' quality of life is markedly improved. Stent insertion is associated with a low complication rate, most stents remain patent longer than the patients' survival time and patients' hospital stay is relatively short.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Evangelismos General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Kaskarelis
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Papadaki
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Papageorgiou
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Limniati
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Malliaraki
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Piperopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002758:Cholangiography; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome