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
(EN)
Medical and Health Sciences ▶ Clinical Medicine Gastroenterology
(EN)
Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology
