title: Covered self-expanding metal stents may be preferable to plastic stents in the treatment of chronic pancreatitis-related biliary strictures: a systematic review comparing 2 methods of stent therapy in benign biliary strictures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Covered self-expanding metal stents (CSEMS) are being increasingly used in the endoscopic treatment of benign biliary strictures (BBS). There is no solid evidence yet to support their routine use.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate feasibility, success rate, and complications of CSEMS compared with multiple plastic stents (PS) in BBS in a systematic review.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search of electronic databases (Medline, Scopus, and Embase) for studies published from 2000 to 2012 combined to hand-search of reference lists resulted 4977 articles. Out of 99 potentially relevant studies selected for full-text review, 12 CSEMS (376 patients) and 13 PS studies (570 patients) met the final inclusion criteria. A systematic review comparing the 2 methods was made using proportion meta-analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A tendency to successful use of CSEMS in strictures related to chronic pancreatitis (CP) was shown: clinical success of 77% and 33% [95% confidence interval (CI), 61%-94% vs. 4%-63%, P=0.06] was achieved with CSEMS and PS at 12 months follow-up, respectively. There were no differences in the success rates of other etiologies except CP or in the early complications. In CSEMS, incidence of late adverse events was lower in CP-related strictures (3% vs. 67%, 95% CI, 0%-13% vs. 17%-99%, P=0.02). The median number of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies was lower with CSEMSs: 1.5 versus 3.9 (P=0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improved clinical success with fewer endoscopic sessions and corresponding complication rate may be achieved with CSEMS treatment compared with PS in BBS secondary to CP. In other BBS etiologies, this systematic review remains inconclusive.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Gastroenterology and Alimentary Tract Surgery, Tampere University Hospital †Science Center, Pirkanmaa Hospital District ‡School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siiki
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helminen
authors.forename: Juhani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sand
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laukkarinen
mesh_terms: D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000473:pathology*; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D010969:Plastics; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D010969:Plastics