Endoscopic stenting for definitive treatment of irretrievable common bile duct calculi. A long-term follow-up study of 49 patients.
OBJECTIVE
The value of endoprostheses for long-term management of bile duct stones has not been formally established. A prospective evaluation of results and complications of the insertion of biliary endoprostheses was performed in patients with endoscopic irretrievable bile duct stones.


METHODS
From January 1990 to September 1998, 49 patients (18 men and 31 women; average age 75.5 years), underwent endoscopic biliary stenting for endoscopically irretrievable bile duct stones.


RESULTS
Successful biliary drainage was achieved in all patients. Early complications occurred in 12.2% of cases. Over the long-term follow-up (median follow = 39 months) late complications occurred in 40.8% of cases, with 3 cases of biliary-related death.


CONCLUSIONS
For immediate bile duct drainage, endoprostheses proved a safe and effective alternative for treatment of patients with endoscopically irretrievable bile duct stones. Because of the risk of subsequent complications, its use as a definitive treatment should be confirmed to highly selected cases.
Department of Surgery, Service of Surgical Endoscopy, University of Naples Federico II, School of Medicine, Naples, Italy. gdepalma@arrotino.it
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De Palma
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Galloro
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Siciliano
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Catanzano
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D004322:Drainage; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D042882:Gallstones / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects