title: Functional self-expandable metal stents in biliary obstruction.
abstract: Biliary stents are widely used not only for palliative treatment of malignant biliary obstruction but also for benign biliary diseases. Each plastic stent or self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) has its own advantages, and a proper stent should be selected carefully for individual condition. To compensate and overcome several drawbacks of SEMS, functional self-expandable metal stent (FSEMS) has been developed with much progress so far. This article looks into the outcomes and defects of each stent type for benign biliary stricture and describes newly introduced FSEMSs according to their functional categories.
authors.affiliation: Digestive Disease Center, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Il
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Kwang Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Ki Baik
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Hahm
authors.forename: Dae Hwan
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kang
keywords: Bile ducts, extrahepatic; Biliary tract; Drug-eluting stents; Stents