The perfect biliary plastic stent: the search goes on

Abstract

The introduction of biliary plastic stents has been a landmark achievement in the field of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, ensuring minimally invasive and highly effective relief of the obstructed biliary system. Attempts to improve the patency and avoid complications after biliary plastic stenting have led to  everal innovations, but complications due to stent occlusion are still frequent. Because these complications are  linically relevant, and may guide stent choice and patient management, efforts have been made to elucidate the  auses of and ways to prevent occlusion of indwelling stents. In this narrative review we focus on biliary  lastic stents and discuss the mechanisms of stent occlusion, existing evidence on salient outcomes, as well as  options to overcome existing limitations and prolong plastic stent patency.

Keywords Obstructive jaundice, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, cholangitis, stent

Ann Gastroenterol 2023; 36 (5): 490-496