Percutaneous biliary metal wall stenting in malignant obstructive jaundice.
BACKGROUND
Most patients with advanced stage malignant obstructive jaundice will be suitable for palliation only. Metallic stents are safe, effective and minimally invasive.


METHODS
A review of case notes of patients who had Wallstents inserted percutaneously from January 1996 to December 2000.


RESULTS
Eighty-nine patients with a median age of 72 years underwent percutaneous insertion of biliary metal stents. The diagnoses were cholangiocarcinoma (41.5%), pancreatic carcinoma (40.5%), nodal metastases at the porta hepatis (14.6%) and gall bladder cancer (3.4%). Ninety-six per cent of patients improved their hyperbilirubinaemia to normal levels by 1 month. The median post-procedure hospital stay was 16 days. Early overall complications (within 30 days of stenting) occurred in 30% of patients (70% of these were disease related). The 30 day mortality rate was 20% (n = 18). Fifty (70%) patients were readmitted to hospital, most commonly because of carcinomatosis (16) or stent obstruction (12). The symptom-free period ranged from 2 weeks to 13 months. Median survival for all patients was 3.5 months. Survival correlated inversely with serum bilirubin at presentation (r = -0.34, P = 0.001), but not with other liver function tests.


CONCLUSIONS
Metal wall stenting for malignant obstructive jaundice provides good palliation with low, procedure-related morbidity and mortality, but poor overall survival from disease-related morbidity. Survival significantly correlates with pre-stenting serum bilirubin levels. There is a need to identify the subgroup of patients in whom stenting has no beneficial effect.
Indar
Adrian A
AA
Section of Surgery, University Hospital Nottingham NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK.
Lobo
Dileep N
DN
Gilliam
Andrew D
AD
Gregson
Roger
R
Davidson
Ian
I
Whittaker
Simon
S
Doran
John
J
Rowlands
Brian J
BJ
Beckingham
Ian J
IJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000628:therapy; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D010359:Patient Readmission; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome