Percutaneously placed covered retrievable stents for the treatment of biliary anastomotic strictures following living donor liver transplantation

Abstract

This study evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of covered retrievable stent placement compared with drainage catheter placement for treating biliary anastomotic strictures following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). In 39 of 59 patients who underwent LDLT, balloon dilation of strictures and subsequent interposition of 14-French indwelling catheters were performed (group 1), whereas in 20 patients, 29 covered retrievable stents were percutaneously placed (group 2). The drainage catheters were positioned above the stricture after at least 12 weeks of internal drainage or following stent removal after at least 8 weeks of stent placement. The drainage catheters were removed when the follow-up cholangiogram revealed free passage of contrast media. In the presence of residual stricture, either of the following was performed: (1) balloon dilation of the stricture and replacement of the indwelling catheter or (2) placement of another covered retrievable stent for at least 12 weeks. Technical success was achieved in all recipients. Clinical success was higher in group 1 (95%) than in group 2 (70%) (P = 0.005), whereas the duration of treatment was significantly shorter in group 2 (197 ± 89 days) than in group 1 (278 ± 115 days) (P = 0.018). All stents were successfully removed at a median of 14 weeks after placement, except for 1 patient in whom early stent removal was inevitable and a second patient in whom the stent migrated completely. Stent migration rate was 24% (7 of 29 stents). In conclusion, treatment of biliary anastomotic strictures following LDLT is feasible using covered retrievable stents and has an acceptable clinical success rate with shorter treatment duration.