Abstract

Background
/Aims: Endoscopic biliary drainage is widely used for the palliative treatment of malignant biliary obstruction. For the advanced stricture, the general treatments such as a dilating or balloon catheter can not fully expand a duct. The authors used a Soehendra Stent Retriever for these cases, and we evaluated the value of using this instrument for treating these patients.
Methods
From July 2006 to Jun 2008, we studied 12 patients with mailignant biliary obstruction (Klatskin's tumor=10, Gall bladder cancer=2) and who were failed at having a stent inserted with such general treatment such as using a dilating or balloon catheter (M：F=7：5, age=69.1 years old). For the bilateral biliary drainage of the duct, the "stent in stent" method was used and 12 patients were treated with a Soehendra Stent Retriever with clockwise rotation, as well as going forward to expand the target area of the intrahepatic bile duct obstruction and insert a metal stent.
Results
Ten patients among the 12 who were treated by a Soehendra Stent Retriever achieved successful insertion of a stent (technical success, 83.3%), and all 12 patients showed improvement of their jaundice.
Conclusions
To insert bilateral stents for the advanced malignant biliary obstruction, expanding the strictured area with a Soehendra Stent Retriever can improve the success of inserting a stent. (Korean J Gastrointest Endosc 2009; 39:271-275)

• Keywords: Soehendra Stent Retriever, Malignant biliary obstruction, Endoscopic biliary drainage