Biliary Stent Placement Research Articles

Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder stent placement inthepresence of uncovered biliary metal stents using a through-the-mesh technique.

Percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) has traditionally been the treatment of choice for acute cholecystitis (AC) after biliary self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placement.1 However, PTGBD or EUS-guided drainage cannot be performed on patients with ascites or coagulopathy. For these patients, endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETGBD) is the treatment of choice.2-5 Furthermore, ETGBD may have another advantage over PTGBD: Prompt internal drainage can be achieved by endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder stent placement.

Endoscopic Transpapillary Gallbladder Drainage for Acute Cholecystitis After Biliary Self-Expandable Metal Stent Placement.

Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETGBD) for acute cholecystitis (AC) after self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placement is technically challenging and there are no reports about its outcome in a several cases. This study aims to assess the outcomes of ETGBD for AC after SEMS placement. Between April 2011 and April 2019, 314 patients underwent SEMS placement for biliary stricture. Among them, 12 of 21 patients who developed AC after SEMS placement underwent ETGBD. In general, ETGBD was performed after SEMS removal in cases in which a covered SEMS was previously placed or with the SEMS kept in place in cases in which an uncovered SEMS was previously placed. When the orifice of the cystic duct overlapped the uncovered SEMS, ETGBD was performed through the mesh of the SEMS. Among the 12 patients who underwent ETGBD, the previously placed SEMS was in the distal (n=8) or perihilar (n=4) bile duct. The type of SEMS placed in the distal bile duct was covered in 7 (fully covered: 6, partially covered: 1) and uncovered in 1, whereas that in the perihilar bile duct was uncovered for all. The technical success rate of ETGBD was 83.3% (10/12), and that according to the previous SEMS placement site was 75.0% (6/8) for the distal bile duct and 100% (4/4) for the perihilar bile duct. In the technically successful, the clinical success rate for AC was 90.0% (9/10). The rate of adverse event was 16.7% (2/12) (stent kink: 1, tube self-removal: 1). ETGBD can have relatively good outcomes for AC after SEMS placement.

Percutaneous endobiliary radiofrequency ablation and stents in management of hepatocellular carcinoma with bile duct tumor thrombus: Initial single-institution experience.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is a rare condition, but it can lead to hepatic failure and is associated with poor prognosis. Treatment for HCC with BDTT remains a challenge. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the safety and feasibility of percutaneous endobiliary radiofrequency ablation (EB-RFA) and biliary metal stent placement as an alternative treatment for patients with HCC with BDTT. From October 2014 to December 2016, nine patients (all men, mean age 53.2±12.0; range 40-70) who underwent percutaneous EB-RFA and biliary metal stent placement for HCC with BDTT were included. Stent patency, overall survival, technical and clinical success rate and complications were investigated. Median stent patency from the time of the first EB-RFA was 6.0 months (95% CI, 5.4-6.6 months) and survival from the time of diagnosis was 6.0 months (95% CI, 2.2-9.8 months). Two of 9 patients underwent bilateral EB-RFA and stent placement, one underwent unilateral EB-RFA and stent-in-stent procedure, and one EB-RFA as treatment for biliary metal stent occlusion. One patient who presented with stent occlusion underwent repeat ablations 182 days after the first ablation procedure and 53 days after the re-ablation procedure. Combination therapy was administered to five patients. The technical and clinical success rate were 100% and 89% per patient. After treatment, serum direct bilirubin levels were notably decreased in eight patients. No major complications were observed. Minor complications included one bile duct bleeding, three postoperative abdominal pain and two cholangitis. Percutaneous EB-RFA and biliary metal stent placement might be technically safe and feasible therapeutic options for patients with HCC with BDTT.

Transhepatic Placement of Metallic Biliary Stent for Internal Drainage of Persistent Liver Abscesses

Transhepatic placement of a metallic biliary stent for internal drainage of persistent liver abscesses was performed in 9 patients (males; median age, 65 years; range, 57–82 years) with refractory liver abscess. The median follow-up period was 2.8 months (range, 0.4–50.3 months). Technical success was achieved in all cases without any major complications. Clinical success, defined as the removal of the drainage tube without recurrent symptoms of infection, was achieved in 8 cases. Median duration until removal of the drainage tube from stent placement was 7 days (range, 0–36).

Is a Sphincterotomy Needed for Metal Biliary Stent Placement in Patients Without Pancreatic Obstruction

There is ongoing debate in the endoscopy community as to whether the placement of a metal biliary stent warrants a concomitant biliary sphincterotomy.

Biliary metal stent placement during single-balloon enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: Novel stent delivery system to address surgically altered anatomy.

Biliary metal stent placement during single-balloon enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: Novel stent delivery system to address surgically altered anatomy.

Percutaneous intraductal radiofrequency ablation combined with biliary stent placement for treatment of malignant biliary obstruction.

To determine the safety and efficacy of percutaneous intraductal radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with biliary metal stent placement for patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction. From a cohort of 70 patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction, 28 patients received percutaneous intraductal RFA combined with biliary stent placement (group A) and the remaining 42 were treated with biliary metal stent placement only (group B). Stent patency, overall survival (OS), alleviation of jaundice, and postoperative complications were assessed. The technical success rate for both groups was 100%. No severe complications (e.g., biliary bleeding, perforation) occurred. In both groups, jaundice was relieved and the decrease of the total and direct bilirubin concentration was significant (p < 0.01). The median time of stent patency in group A and group B were 6.6 ± 0.3months (95% CI 6.1-7.1months) and 4.9 ± 0.4months (95% CI 4.2-5.6months), respectively (p < 0.01). The median overall survival times in Group A were 7.2 ± 0.3months (95% CI 6.5-7.9months) versus 5.6 ± 0.4months (95% CI 4.8-6.4months) in group B (p < 0.01). In univariate and multivariate analyses, intraductal RFA, stent patency, and decreased baseline serum direct bilirubin concentration were associated with greater OS (p < 0.05). Percutaneous intraductal RFA combined with stent placement is a safe and effective method for patients with malignant biliary obstruction. As compared to stent placement alone, percutaneous intraductal RFA can significantly prolong stent patency and improve the overall survival of patients with malignant biliary obstruction.

Inutility of endoscopic sphincterotomy to prevent pancreatitis after biliary metal stent placement in the patients without pancreatic duct obstruction

Background: The incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) has been reported to be significantly higher in patients without main pancreatic duct (MPD) obstruction who undergo transpapillary biliary metal stent (MS) placement than in those with ordinary ERCP setting.Objective: To evaluate the benefit of endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) prior to MS placement in preventing PEP in patients with distal malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) without MPD obstruction.Materials and methods: In total, 160 patients who underwent initial MS placement for MBO were enrolled. Eighty-two patients underwent ES immediately prior to MS placement, whereas 78 underwent MS placement without ES. An inverse probability of treatment weighting method was adopted to adjust the differences of the patients’ characteristics. The primary outcome was the incidence of PEP. The secondary outcomes included the incidence of other adverse events (bleeding, cholangitis, perforation and stent dislocation) and time to recurrent biliary obstruction.Results: The incidence of PEP was 26.8% in the ES and 23.1% in the non-ES (unadjusted odds ratio [OR] [95%CI]: 1.22, [0.60–2.51], adjusted OR [95%CI]: 1.23, [0.53–2.81], p = .63). Logistic-regression analysis revealed no factors that could be attributed to the occurrence of PEP. The incidence of other adverse events was not different between the groups. The median time to recurrent biliary obstruction was 131 (2–465) days and 200 (4–864) days in the ES and non-ES, respectively (p = .215).Conclusions: ES prior to MS placement for patients with distal MBO without MPD obstruction does not reduce the incidence of PEP.

Endoscopic sphincterotomy to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis in patients with biliary neoplasms: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background and aims Treatment of biliary neoplasms often involves multiple endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-related procedures. Endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) may prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). This retrospective, multicenter cohort study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of ES for prevention of PEP in patients with biliary neoplasm. Methods Patients with biliary duct neoplasm who underwent ERCP between January 2006 and December 2016 were enrolled. The frequency of PEP was compared between the ES and non-ES groups using propensity score analysis. The effectiveness of ES in subgroups of patients who underwent biliary duct stent placement, intraductal ultrasound (IDUS), and transpapillary biliary duct biopsy was analyzed by logistic regression. Results Of the 362 patients enrolled, 84 (23.2 %) developed PEP. Propensity score matching for PEP risk factors in 172 ERCP procedures showed that the frequency of PEP in the ES group was lower than that in the non-ES group (19.7 % vs. 33.7 %). Non-ES was also an independent risk factor for PEP in patients who underwent intraductal ultrasound and transpapillary biliary duct biopsy (RR = 4.54 and 5.26), but was not an independent risk factor for PEP in patients with biliary duct stents. In addition, there was no evidence that the frequency of PEP was statistically different between patients with plastic stents and metal stents in the ES and non-ES groups ( P = 0.14 and 0.10). Conclusions ES is an effective technique to prevent PEP in patients with biliary neoplasms. In particular, ES is a safe technique to prevent PEP when performing IDUS and transpapillary biliary duct biopsy.

Incidence and risk factors of pancreatitis in obstructive jaundice patients after percutaneous placement of self-expandable metallic stents

BackgroundPercutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage is an alternative treatment for patients with malignant distal biliary obstruction. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of pancreatitis in patients who had undergone percutaneous placement of a biliary stent and to assess the risk factors for pancreatitis and the treatment outcomes. MethodsFrom January 2010 to October 2016, 980 patients in our hospital who underwent percutaneous placements of self-expandable metallic stents for obstructive jaundice were retrospectively analyzed. The incidence of pancreatitis and risk factors were assessed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Therapeutics, such as somatostatin, which were also adminstrated to release the symptom and promote the restoration of normal function of pancreas, were also analyzed. ResultsPancreatitis occurred in 45 (4.6%) patients. One patient died from severe acute pancreatitis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that common bile duct stent placement was the only independent risk factor that related to pancreatitis (odds ratio = 2.096, 95% CI: 1.248–5.379; P = 0.002). By using somatostatin, the concentrations of serum amylase and lipase were decreased in 44 patients with pancreatitis. No major complications were found during the treatment. ConclusionsPancreatitis is a relatively low complication of percutaneous placement of biliary stents. The common bile duct stent placement is the only independent risk factor that related to pancreatitis. In this case, the percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage is a preferred method for treatment. Furthermore, somatostatin is a secure and efficacious method to release the symptom and promote the restoration of pancreatic function.

Use of an intraoperative wound protector to prevent surgical-site infection after pancreatoduodenectomy: randomized clinical trial.

Surgical-site infection (SSI) increases treatment costs, duration of hospital stay and readmission rate after pancreatic surgery. This study aimed to assess whether a wound protector could reduce the risk of superficial incisional SSI after pancreatoduodenectomy. This RCT included patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy at Verona University Hospital, between 2017 and 2018. The experimental group had a dual-ring wound protector, whereas the control group had standard surgical drapes. The groups were stratified by preoperative biliary stent placement. The primary outcome was the overall rate of superficial SSI. An interim analysis was conducted after 212 patients had been enrolled; 22 patients (10·4 per cent) were excluded owing to inability to complete the pancreatoduodenectomy, or the need for postoperative reintervention. Some 94 patients (49·5 per cent) had a wound protector and 96 (50·5 per cent) had standard drapes. There were no differences between groups in demographics, or in intraoperative findings, pathological data or surgical outcomes. The overall superficial SSI rate was 7·4 per cent, which did not differ between groups (7 per cent in each group; P = 0·585). Subanalysis of patients with a preoperative biliary stent showed a similar outcome (superficial SSI rate 9 versus 8 per cent with wound protector versus surgical drapes respectively; P = 0·536). The trial was stopped prematurely on the grounds of futility. Use of a wound protector did not reduce the rate of superficial SSI after pancreatoduodenectomy. Registration number: NCT03820648 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

New biliary and pancreatic biodegradable stent placement: a single-center, prospective, pilot study (with video)

In recent years, the feasibility and safety of endoscopic placement of different biodegradable biliary stents have been investigated. New, helicoidally shaped, biliary and pancreatic biodegradable stents have been developed for endoscopic use. Stents are provided in different sizes and with 3 expected speeds of degradation: slow (11 weeks), medium (20 days), and fast (12 days). The aim of this study was to evaluate degradation time, technical outcomes, and safety of these stents. This was a single-center, prospective, pilot study (August 2018 to January 2019) of consecutive patients with indication for biliary or pancreatic plastic stent positioning during ERCP. The primary outcome was the evaluation of degradation time of the stents, which was controlled by abdominal radiograph. Secondary outcomes were the evaluation of specific stent-related technical features (loadability, pushability, and fluoroscopic visibility) as compared with commonly used plastic stents and adverse events (AEs). Thirty-eight patients (11 women [28.9%]; median age, 68.05 ± 10.74 years) who received 53 biodegradable stents (34 [64.2%] biliary and 19 [35.8%] pancreatic stents) were enrolled in the study. Thirty-five (66%) slow-degrading stents, 6 (11.3%) medium-degrading stents, and 12 (22.6%) fast-degrading stents were used. At time 1, partial degradation of the stents was present in 48 cases (90.6%). Five stents (9.4%) prematurely migrated. At the subsequent time 2 evaluation, complete degradation occurred in 100% of cases. Stent loadability was defined as excellent in all cases. Pushability of the stent was scored as excellent in 48 cases (90.5%), good in 4 cases (7.5%), and fair in 1 case (1.9%). Fluoroscopic visualization was excellent in 11 cases (20.8%), good in 39 cases (73.6%), and fair in 3 (5.6%). Only 1 AE of mild post-ERCP pancreatitis occurred. The results of our study suggest that the biodegradation of the new biliary and pancreatic stents is reliable and in line with expected times and technically successful in a variety of indications. Further randomized multicenter studies are required to validate our preliminary findings. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT03767166.).

Biodegradable Biliary Stents for Percutaneous Treatment of Post-liver Transplantation Refractory Benign Biliary Anastomotic Strictures.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and the effectiveness of polydioxanone-made biodegradable biliary stent placement for the treatment of post-transplant benign, refractory biliary anastomotic strictures. This was a retrospective observational study on all adult liver transplant recipients who developed a clinically significant anastomotic stricture between January 2014 and June 2017. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangioplasty with balloon dilation was performed as therapeutic approach in selected patients after multidisciplinary evaluation. Refractory strictures (defined as stricture persistence after two interventional procedures) were managed with placement of polydioxanone-made biodegradable biliary stent (SX-Ella biliary stent, Czech Republic). Patency of the common bile duct was calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Eighteen adult liver transplant recipients who developed a refractory biliary anastomotic stricture [males/females 13/5, median (IQR) 58.2 (9.3) years] underwent biodegradable biliary stent placement after 10.4 (32) months from liver transplantation. All procedures except one were uneventful. After a median (IQR) follow-up time of 27.2 (22) months, complete resolution of anastomotic stricture was achieved in 72% of patients, with significant improvement on liver enzymes. Polydioxanone-made biodegradable biliary stent might be a safe and effective therapeutic option for the difficult-to-treat benign biliary anastomotic stricture after liver transplantation.

Unilateral versus bilateral endoscopic stenting in patients with unresectable malignant hilar obstruction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background and study aims Endoscopic stent placement is used for palliative management of unresectable malignant hilar obstruction, which could be achieved by either unilateral or bilateral stent insertion. Materials and methods A literature search was performed to identify studies that reported outcomes of metallic biliary stent placement in patients with malignant hilar obstruction. Weighted pooled rates (WPR) along with 95 % confidence intervals (95 %CI) were calculated to determine and compare outcomes including technical and functional success, early and late adverse events, post procedure cholangitis, and stent occlusion between two groups. Results A total of 21 studies with 1292 patients were included. WPR of technical success was significantly higher in the unilateral group (97 %, 95 %CI: 93 –98 %) vs. bilateral group (89 %, 95 %CI: 84 –92 %) ( P = 0.0.003). WPR for functional success in the unilateral and bilateral groups were 96 % (95 %CI: 91 –98 %) and 94 % (95 %CI: 91 –97 %), respectively ( P = 0.48). The rate of early and late complications was comparable between the two groups. Conclusion In patients with unresectable malignant hilar obstruction, unilateral and bilateral metallic stenting techniques are comparable in terms of efficacy and safety.

Removal of proximally migrated biliary stents by using single-operator cholangioscopy.

Background and AimsMigration is a late adverse event of biliary stent placement. It occurs in 1% to 20% of cases and is associated with a diverse array of adverse events. In this article, we report our take on endoscopic extraction of proximally migrated biliary stents by the use of single-operator cholangioscopy.MethodsThis report includes 3 patients who were found to have proximal stent migration while being treated for biliary stones. One patient had a migrated metal stent, and the other 2 had plastic stents. Single-operator cholangioscopy was used to retrieve the stents in all patients. The SpyBite biopsy forceps accessory was used to extract the metal stent, whereas the SpyBasket and the SpySnare were used to extract the plastic stents.ResultsAll patients underwent successful stent removal by the techniques described in this report, with no immediate adverse events, and they completed more than 4 weeks of follow-up care with no further adverse events.ConclusionsDigital single-operator cholangioscopy with SpyBasket, retrieval snare, and SpyBite biopsy forceps can be useful tools to remove migrated plastic and metallic stents, respectively.

Impact of biliary metal and plastic stents on preoperative staging for pancreatic cancer.

646 Background: Multiple studies have shown the superiority of biliary metal compared with plastic stents for pre-operative (preop) biliary drainage in pancreatic cancer (PDAC). Despite the importance of preop cross-sectional imaging, particularly in the era of neoadjuvant treatment, there is no data on the impact of such stents on the quality of preop cross-sectional imaging. We hypothesis, that biliary metal stents negatively impact the accuracy of preop cross-sectional imaging in pancreatic cancer, with unknown impact for the adequacy of surgical candidacy. Methods: Data of all patients undergoing pancreatic resection for PDAC between 1/1/2012 and 1/1/2018 was retrospectively abstracted. Clinical staging based on preop cross-sectional imaging following biliary stent placement (within 2 months prior surgical resection) was compared with the surgical pathology (staging gold standard). Accuracy of clinical and surgical pathology staging was compared. Logistic regression was performed to control for biliary stent type, neoadjuvant treatment and patient baseline characteristics including BMI and type of imaging. Results: 312 patients underwent pancreatic resections. 118 patients required preop biliary drainage in setting of PDAC, including 92 ERCPs of which 83 were successful (46 plastic and 37 metal stents). 76 patients underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. Surgical pathology revealed following stages: 0 n = 4, 1A n = 5, 1B n = 8, 2A n = 20, 2B n = 24, 3 n = 1, 4 n = 14. 96% underwent preop CT and 4% MRI pancreas protocol imaging. Exact correlation between clinical and surgical pathology was present in only 48% of cases (57% plastic, 46% metal stent), with 28% of clinical T overstaging, 4% clinical T understaging, 16% clinical N understaging and 4% unable to stage due to artefacts. More importantly, 8% patients were incorrectly staged to be surgical candidates (14% plastic, 6% metal). Controlling for stent type, neoadjuvant treatment and BMI did not impact preop cross-sectional imaging accuracy. Conclusions: Despite their impact on preop cross-imaging biliary metal stents did not negatively impact the accuracy and patient selection for surgical candidacy compared with biliary plastic stents in PDAC.

Stent placement with iodine-125 seeds strand effectively extends the duration of stent patency and survival in patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice

Background: This study aimed to compare the treatment outcomes and safety between stent placement with or without Iodine-125 (125I) seeds strand for patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice (MOJ).Methods: A total of 84 patients with unresectable MOJ treated in our hospital were retrospectively included and divided into the stent group (n = 54) undergoing biliary stent placement and the stent + seeds group (n = 30) receiving stent placement with 125I seeds strand. The therapeutic outcome, postoperative complications, duration of patient survival and stent patency were compared between groups. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was performed to compare the duration of patient survival and stent patency between groups. Cox-regression analysis was performed to investigate predictive factors for disease-free survival and overall survival.Results: The stent + seeds group had significantly longer duration of patency (231.57 ± 256.54 vs. 110.37 ± 120.52) and overall survival (310.57 ± 330.54 vs. 173.15 ± 219.40) than the stent group (both p < .05). In addition, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis confirmed that the stent + seeds group had longer duration of patency (log-rank test, p = .001) and higher overall survival rate (log-rank test, p = .020) than the stent group. Furthermore, Cox-regression analysis demonstrated that treatment methods was an independent factor associated with disease-free survival (HR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.19–0.70; p = .003) and overall survival (HR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.01; p < .001).Conclusion: The stent placement with 125I seeds strand can significantly improve the primary patency rate and overall survival time in MOJ patients.

Should the Oddis sphincter be retained? A clinical analysis of biliary metal stent implantation in patients with malignant obstructive jaundice.

We sought to analyze the efficacy and safety of preserving the Oddis sphincter during metallic biliary stent implantation in patients with malignant obstructive jaundice. In a retrospective analysis, 133 patients with malignant obstructive jaundice who were admitted to our hospital from January 2010 to January 2017 and who underwent metallic biliary stent implantation were divided into two groups - the Oddis sphincter retention group (n = 55) and the Oddis sphincter nonretention group (n = 78) - according to whether the Oddis sphincter was left untouched during stent placement. The patient clinical data as well as information on complications, time of stent patency, improvement in liver function, and decline of serum bilirubin were reviewed and evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 19.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA, USA) and Prism version 7 (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA, USA). The median follow-up time was 9.6 months (range: 1-20 months) and there was no significant difference in general clinical information between the two groups. However, the incidence rates of acute biliary infection, recurrent biliary infection, acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, and asymptomatic pancreatic enzyme levels were higher in the Oddis sphincter retention group and the differences were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conversely, there were no significant differences in bilirubin decline, liver function improvement, and stent patency between the two groups (P > 0.05). Leaving the Oddis sphincter untouched during biliary stent placement can reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, while there was no effect on stent patency or jaundice relief. Therefore, it is recommended to preserve the Oddis sphincter when the stenosis is more than 3 cm above the duodenal papilla.

Percutaneous transhepatic approach to endoscopic placement of a 10F plastic biliary stent: step-by-step description of a novel technique.

Percutaneous transhepatic approach to endoscopic placement of a 10F plastic biliary stent: step-by-step description of a novel technique.

Role of biliary stenting for large impacted stone in common bile duct

Introduction Large choledocholithiasis is associated with higher rates of failed extraction with conventional endoscopic techniques. Alternative methods such as electrohydraulic lithotripsy and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, laser lithotripsy, and dissolving solutions can remove 90% of difficult common bile stones. However, these methods are indicated only in special situations and require experience and additional equipment that may not be available in every center. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of biliary stenting in the treatment of endoscopically nonextractable common bile duct (CBD) stones. Patients and methods A total of 46 patients with endoscopically nonextractable CBD stones underwent placement of a plastic biliary stent. After 6 months, a second endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed, and endoscopic stone removal was again attempted. Differences in stone size and CBD diameter before and after biliary stenting were compared. The complete stone removal rate after treatment was determined. Results The second ERCP procedure showed that the bile stone disappeared in 11 (23.91%) patients. Decreased stone size with complete stone removal was achieved in 29 (63.04%) patients. No significant changes were observed in the sizes of CBD stones, and stone extraction eventually failed in six (13.04%) patients. Thus, in 40 (87%) patients with nonextractable stones, successful stone extraction was performed during the second ERCP. Conclusion Temporary biliary stenting has an established place in the management of large CBD stones and can facilitate stone extraction by a basket or a balloon catheter in the second ERCP.