title: The current status of preoperative biliary drainage for patients who receive pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary carcinoma: a comprehensive review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgery on patients with malignant obstructive jaundice carries increased risks of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Preoperative biliary drainage has been developed to reduce this procedure-related risks, but its role in patients who are going to receive pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary carcinoma is still controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article aimed at reviewing the current status of preoperative biliary drainage for patients with peri-ampullary tumors who were candidates for pancreaticoduodenectomy. A MEDLINE and PubMed database search from 1980 to 2013 was performed to identify relevant articles using the keywords "pancreaticoduodenectomy", "preoperative biliary drainage", "jaundice", "peri-ampullary neoplasm" and "carcinoma of pancreas". Additional papers were identified by a manual search of the references from the key articles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 5 meta-analyses on preoperative biliary drainage for patients with malignant obstructive jaundice. Most of the results of these studies could not be used to define the role of preoperative biliary drainage for patients who received pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary carcinoma because: first, the majority of these studies were on bypass or palliative resections; second, various pathologies with both proximal and distal biliary obstruction were included; third, there were different forms of percutaneous or endoscopic drainage procedures; fourth, there were different durations of preoperative drainage; and finally, there were variations in the definition of events and outcomes. There was only one RCT which included a homogeneous group of patients with carcinoma of pancreas who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. For patients with periampullary tumor, the RCTS and meta-analyses showed no benefit of preoperative biliary drainage. Instead, there were some concerns about the drainage-related complications and the increase in positive intraoperative bile culture rate and the associated infective complication rate postoperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Routine preoperative biliary drainage showed no beneficial effect on the surgical outcome for patients with periampullary tumor. A selective approach of preoperative biliary drainage should be adopted for these patients. The optimal duration and modality of preoperative biliary drainage remain unclear.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Department of Surgery, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
authors.forename: Eric C H
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
authors.forename: Stephanie H Y
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: josephlau@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Wan Yee
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D014670:Ampulla of Vater; D003138:Common Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D004322:Drainage; D004379:Duodenal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D041781:Jaundice, Obstructive / Q000601:surgery*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D011300:Preoperative Care
keywords: Carcinoma of pancreas; Jaundice; Pancreaticoduodenectomy; Periampullary neoplasm; Preoperative biliary drainage