title: Malignant biliary obstruction: management with percutaneous metallic stent placement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report our experience on palliative management of malignant biliary obstruction with percutaneous placement of metallic stents.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 3-year period 20 patients with malignant biliary obstruction were treated with percutaneous insertion of metallic biliary endoprostheses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stent placement was successful in 19 patients, with significant improvement of jaundice in 18 patients. 17 patients have died up to date. In this group survival was 4-324 days (mean: 107 days) and mean stent primary and secondary patency 94.3 and 97.4 days, respectively. Three patients are alive with a follow-up from 20-195 days. Mean secondary patency is 65.3 days (20-134 days). We encountered serious complications in 4 patients (20%). Thirty-day mortality was 15%, while procedural mortality was 10%. Four patients presented 13-120 days (mean: 71.5 days) after the procedure with stent reocclusion (reocclusion rate: 20%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The procedure is relatively easy and safe to perform, yields excellent palliation of the patient's symptomatology and, therefore, contributes substantially to the maintenance of good quality of life of the patient with malignant biliary obstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology of Eugenidion University Hospital, Athens, Greece. ebrountz@atlas.uoa.gr
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Brountzos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petropoulos
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Kelekis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Magoulas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alexopoulou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kagianni
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kelekis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D002758:Cholangiography; D001651:Cholestasis, Extrahepatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D019233:Retreatment; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome