title: Self-expandable metallic stent placement in the palliative treatment of malignant obstruction of gastric outlet and duodenum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To asses the usefulness of flexible metallic stents in the palliation of malignant obstruction of gastric outlet and duodenum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review was performed between January 2006 and December 2011 in 30 patients. Thirty consecutive patients with obstruction of the gastric outlet underwent palliative treatment with self-expandable flexible metallic stents. Complications and clinical outcomes were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four patients had advanced gastric carcinoma at the antrum and/or pylorus, four patients had obstruction at the pylorus due to pancreas tumours and one patient had duodedum and one patient had gall bladder tumour. Symptoms improved in 82.7% of the patients after the procedure. The improvement in ability to eat using the score system was statistically significant (p<0.001). Tumor ingrowth and/or overgrowth were seen in four patients (13.3%), and a second stent was inserted in these patients. The mean stent patency was 100 days (range, 5 to 410). The mean survival was 120.76±38.96 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endoscopic placement of self-expendable metallic stents under fluoroscopy is a safe and effective treatment for the palliation of patients with inoperable malignant gastric outlet obstruction caused by stomach or pancreas cancer.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Erkan
authors: E
authors: Caglar
authors: Ahmet
authors: A
authors: Dobrucali
keywords: Advanced malignancies; Gastric outlet obstruction; Self expendable metallic stents