Treatment Of Bile Duct Stricture Research Articles

Interventional endoscopic ultrasonography in patients with surgically altered anatomy: Techniques and literature review.

There are various reconstruction techniques that are used after upper gastrointestinal surgery. In recent years, opportunities for endoscopic diagnosis and treatment have been increasing in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. With the advent of interventional endoscopic ultrasound (IV-EUS), various procedures have been developed mainly for patients in whom endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is difficult to carry out. Indications for such procedures are expanding. IV-EUS for surgically altered anatomy (SAA) includes EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration, biliary interventions (e.g. biliary drainage, treatment of bile duct stricture, removal of bile duct stones, and the rendezvous technique), and pancreatic interventions (e.g. rendezvous technique after Whipple surgery). In addition, there have been reports of various EUS-related procedures using a forward-viewing curved linear-array echoendoscope that are carried out for postoperative intestinal tract reconstruction. Although interventional EUS is a useful therapeutic procedure for SAA, there are still no dedicated devices, and standardization of the procedure is warranted.

Percutaneous transhepatic biliary stenting in patients with intradiverticular papillae and biliary strictures caused by ampullary carcinoma: A case report.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with endoscopic sphincterotomy is a well-established procedure for the treatment of bile duct strictures. However, the procedure is difficult to perform in patients with intradiverticular papillae or tumor infiltration of the major papilla. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary stenting (PTBS) is commonly used in the management of malignant biliary stricture. The current study reports two cases of PTBS performed to treat malignant obstructive jaundice caused by ampullary carcinoma complicated with intradiverticular papillae. PTBS is potentially a safe technique for this relatively rare condition.

A comparative study of surgery and endoscopy for the treatment of bile duct stricture in patients with chronic pancreatitis

This study aimed to compare the outcomes of endoscopic treatment (ET) and surgical treatment (ST) for common bile duct (CBD) stricture in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP). From 2004 to 2009, 39 patients (35 men and 4 women; median age, 52 years; range, 38-66 years) were referred for CBD stricture in CP. Of these 39 patients, 33 (85 %) underwent primary ET, and 6 underwent primary ST. Treatment success was defined in both groups as the absence of signs denoting recurrence, with normal serum bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase levels after permanent stent removal in ET group. The follow-up period was longer than 12 months for all the patients. For the patients treated with ET, the mean number of biliary procedures was 3 (range, 1-10) per patient including extractible metallic stents in 35 % and multiple plastic stents in 65 % of the patients. The mean duration of stent intubation was 11 months. The surgical procedure associated with biliary drainage (4 choledochoduodenostomies, 1 choledochojejunostomy, and 1 biliary decompression within the pancreatic head) was a Frey procedure for five patients and a pancreaticojejunostomy for one patient. The overall morbidity rate was higher in the ST group. The total hospital length of stay was similar in the two groups (16 vs 24 days, respectively; p = 0.21). In terms of intention to treat, the success rates for ST and ET did not differ significantly (83 % vs 76 %; p = 0.08). Due to failure, 17 patients required ST after ET. Event-free survival was significantly longer in the ST group (16.9 vs 5.8 months; p = 0.01). The actuarial success rates were 74 % at 6 months, 74 % at 12 months, and 65 % at 24 months in the ST group and respectively 75 %, 69 %, and 12 % in the ET group (p = 0.01). After more than three endoscopic procedures, the success rates were 27 % at 6 months and 18 % at 18 months. For bile duct stricture in CP, surgery is associated with better long-term outcomes than endoscopic therapy. After more than three endoscopic procedures, the success rate is low.

Endoscopic Management of Postcholecystectomy Bile Duct Strictures

Review of 1.6 million cholecystectomies, from 1992 to 1999, demonstrated a 0.5% incidence of bile duct injury, despite increasing experience with laparoscopy. The incidence has not decreased after the "learning curve." The management of major bile duct injuries has traditionally been by hepaticojejunostomy. Endoscopy has been increasingly used to treat these injuries. This study reviews the senior author's endoscopic treatment of bile duct injuries. This is a retrospective study, from 1991 to 2006, examining data on 292 patients who were referred for postcholecystectomy problems; 199 had cholecystectomy-related injuries and 93 had other pathologies. Sixty-seven patients had bile duct injuries (Amsterdam Academic Medical Center Classification, types B, C, and D). Nineteen patients underwent bilioenteric bypass for complete bile duct occlusion or transection. In the remaining 48, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) evaluation and treatment were possible. Our protocol called for biliary stenting for 11 to 14 months, with stent changes at 3-month intervals. Short- and longterm results were evaluated by clinical, radiologic, and laboratory studies. Forty-six patients were selected for endoscopic management by balloon dilation and biliary stent placement. The mean +/- SD duration of endoscopic stenting was 12+/-9.8 months and followup was 30+/-24 months after stent removal. During the followup period, 10 of 46 patients (22%) had recurrent stricture: 6 (13%) responded to endoscopic biliary stenting and 4 (9%) required hepaticojejunostomy. Complications included pancreatitis (8%). There were no deaths in the endoscopic group. ERCP intervention is a safe, effective, minimally invasive treatment for bile duct strictures after cholecystectomy and can be an alternative to hepaticojejunostomy.

Bile duct strictures after liver transplantation: A changing landscape of the Achilles' heel

Bile duct strictures after liver transplantation: A changing landscape of the Achilles' heel

Interventionelle Endoskopie bei benignen und malignen Gallengangsstenosen

During the past years several endoscopic and interventional techniques have been developed for the treatment of bile duct strictures and have had a strong impact on therapeutic regimens. Benign stenoses of the bile duct are mainly caused by cholecystectomy or liver resection or by inflammatory diseases. Insertion of an endoprosthesis insertion or balloon dilation is clinically successful in 60 to 90 % of these patients and will result in adequate opening of the stricture. To date, only bile duct stenosis in chronic pancreatitis are not improved satisfactorily by endoscopy. The insertion of an endoprosthesis is a cornerstone in the treatment of malignant obstructive jaundice in patients with cancer. Several comparative studies have demonstrated the advantages of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) over plastic prostheses in terms of patency. A selective use of SEMS is mandatory, as the costs for SEMS are high and many patients with malignant jaundice will die with their first plastic prosthesis in situ without stent occlusion. In patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma, the combination of photodynamic therapy and endoprosthesis insertion might result in a survival advantage. The use of bioabsorbable stent materials or coating of the stent with antiproliferative drugs will improve the treatment results in the future.

The Biliary Manometric Perfusion Test and Clinical Trial—Long-term Predictive Value of Success after Treatment of Bile Duct Strictures: Ten-year Experience

Purpose To evaluate the long-term predictive value of the biliary manometric perfusion test and clinical trial for determining patency after treatment of bile duct strictures. Materials and Methods One hundred four patients with benign biliary disease were treated with surgical ( n = 59) or percutaneous ( n = 45) techniques followed by intubation with large-caliber silicone stents. Prior to removal of the biliary stents, patients underwent a biliary manometric perfusion test ( n = 168) and/or a clinical trial ( n = 105) to objectively and subjectively evaluate the treated site for potential long-term patency. The patients were followed up for 1–87 months, and clinical outcomes were determined. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated for three patient groups, including those who (i) passed either test, (ii) failed either test, and (iii) failed either test, were re-treated, and passed either test. Results Final successful treatment outcomes were documented in 47 (92%) surgically and 31 (86%) percutaneously treated patients, respectively ( P = .001). The Kaplan-Meier survival curves determined the probability of patency at 0, 2, 4, and 6 years after treatment to be 1.0, .96, .78, and .59, respectively, after passing a biliary manometric perfusion test; and 1.0, .91, .78, and .78, respectively, after passing a clinical trial ( P > .10). The probability of patency at 4 years after treatment was .45 after failing a biliary manometric perfusion test, and at 6 months was zero after failing a clinical trial ( P = .001 and .001, respectively, vs the same test in the passing group). Seventy-nine percent of patients who failed either test required an additional period of repeated stent placement or reoperation. After repeated treatment, the probability of patency at 0–4 years was .80 and .88, respectively, for the biliary manometric perfusion test and clinical trial ( P > .05 and P > .10, respectively, vs same test in the group that passed). Conclusion Patients who initially pass either the biliary manometric perfusion test or clinical trial have a significantly increased probability of patency versus those who fail; however, patients who fail either test and who then receive definitive additional treatment have a similar probability of patency as those who initially pass. Although the log rank test demonstrated the Kaplan-Meier survival curves from the biliary manometric perfusion test and clinical trial not to be significantly different in any of the three groups (ie, passing, failing, re-treated), the biliary manometric perfusion test is recommended over the clinical trial because of its simplicity, immediate results, and predicted cost savings.

Benign post-operative bile duct strictures

The vast majority of post-operative bile duct strictures occur following cholecystectomy, these injuries having been seen at an increased frequency since the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Bile duct injuries usually present early in the post-operative period, obstructive jaundice or evidence of a bile leak being the most common mode of presentation. In patients presenting with a post-operative bile duct stricture months to years after surgery, cholangitis is the most common symptom. The ‘gold standard’ for the diagnosis of bile duct strictures is cholangiography. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography is generally more valuable than endoscopic retrograde cholangiography in that it defines the anatomy of the proximal biliary tree that is to be used in surgical reconstruction. The most commonly employed surgical procedure with the best overall results for the treatment of bile duct stricture is a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. The results of the surgical repair of bile duct strictures are excellent, long-term success rates being in excess of 80% in most series. Recent data have suggested that, at intermediate follow-up of approximately 3 years, an excellent outcome can be obtained following repair of bile duct injuries after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Percutaneous and endoscopic techniques for the dilatation of bile duct strictures can be useful adjuncts to the management of bile duct strictures if the anatomical situation and clinical scenario favour this approach. In selected patients, the results of both endoscopic and percutaneous dilatation are comparable to those of surgical reconstruction.

Long-Term Follow-Up After Bilioenteric Anastomosis for Benign Bile Duct Stricture

The authors provide a prospective evaluation of long-term results after bilioenteric anastomoses for benign biliary stricture. With the advent of laparoscopic techniques, the frequency of bile duct injury after operation has increased. Reports on the operative management of these injuries have not provided long-term follow-up. Over a similar period, reports of both endoscopic and invasive radiographic methods as primary treatment for bile duct stricture have compared success rates to antiquated surgical reports. A protocol whereby preoperative radiographic (e.g., cholangiogram, computed tomographic scan, ultrasound), biochemical (e.g., alkaline phosphatase, and total bilirubin), and clinical evaluation was combined with ongoing postoperative evaluation and follow-up at approximately 6-month intervals. A total of 111 patients were evaluated from 1985 to 1995. Patients were categorized in three groups: 1) those with postoperative injuries during open and laparoscopic gallbladder surgery (31 patients), 2) those undergoing operation for pain associated with chronic pancreatitis who have distal common bile duct stenoses (64 patients), and 3) those with nonchronic pancreatitis-associated benign bile duct strictures (16 patients). Mean follow-up was 60 months. Overall preoperative alkaline phosphatase was 640 units/L with a range of 280 to 1860 units/L. All patients had abnormally elevated alkaline phosphatase. Only 3 of 111 patients have had mild persistent elevation after operation. Clinical jaundice, present in 49 of 111 patients, was resolved uniformly by operative decompression. Total bilirubin was elevated abnormally in 56 of 111 patients and also was uniformly corrected by operation. These data support the careful combined use of endoscopy, invasive radiology, and surgery in the management of benign strictures of the biliary tree. These data further suggest a success rate for surgical management that, over long-term follow-up, appears to exceed that found using alternative measures. Alternative methods should measure their success rates against success rates currently achieved by operative management.

Surgical Treatment of Bile Duct Strictures

Surgical Treatment of Bile Duct Strictures