• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.695-706
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• 2020

Objective: To investigate the technical and clinical efficacy of the percutaneous insertion of a biliary metallic stent, and to identify the factors associated with biliary stent dysfunction in patients with malignant duodenobiliary obstruction. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 70 patients (39 men and 31 women; mean age, 63 years; range, 38-90 years) who were treated for malignant duodenobiliary obstruction at our institution between April 2007 and December 2018, were retrospectively reviewed. Variables found significant by univariate log-rank analysis (p < 0.2) were considered as suitable candidates for a multiple Cox's proportional hazard model. Results: The biliary stents were successfully placed in all 70 study patients. Biliary stent insertion with subsequent duodenal stent insertion was performed in 33 patients and duodenal stent insertion with subsequent biliary stent insertion was performed in the other 37 study subjects. The median patient survival and stent patency time were 107 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 78-135 days) and 270 days (95% CI, 95-444 days), respectively. Biliary stent dysfunction was observed in 24 (34.3%) cases. Multiple Cox's proportional hazard analysis revealed that the location of the distal biliary stent was the only independent factor affecting biliary stent patency (hazard ratio, 3.771; 95% CI, 1.157-12.283). The median biliary stent patency was significantly longer in patients in whom the distal end of the biliary stent was beyond the distal end of the duodenal stent (median, 327 days; 95% CI, 249-450 days), rather than within the duodenal stent (median, 170 days; 95% CI, 115-225 days). Conclusion: The percutaneous insertion of the biliary metallic stent appears to be a technically feasible, safe, and effective method of treating malignant duodenobiliary obstruction. In addition, a biliary stent system with a distal end located beyond the distal end of the duodenal stent will contribute towards longer stent patency in these patients.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.889-900
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• 2022

Objective: To investigate the long-term outcomes of percutaneous treatment of benign biliary strictures using temporary placement of a retrievable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) covered stent. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 148 patients (84 male and 64 female; age range, 11-92 years) who underwent percutaneous transhepatic placement and removal of a retrievable PTFE-covered stent for the treatment of benign biliary strictures between March 2007 and August 2019 through long-term follow-up. Ninety-two patients had treatment-naïve strictures and 56 had recurrent/refractory strictures. Results: Stent placement was technically successful in all 148 patients. The mean indwelling period of the stent was 2.4 months (median period, 2.3 months; range, 0.2-7.7 months). Stent migration, either early or late, occurred in 28 (18.9%) patients. Clinical success, defined as resolution of stricture after completing stent placement and removal, was achieved in 94.2% (131 of 139 patients). The overall complication rate was 15.5% (23 of 148 patients). During the mean follow-up of 60.2 months (median period, 52.7 months; range, 1.6-146.1 months), 37 patients had a recurrence of clinically significant strictures at 0.5-124.5 months after removal of biliary stent and catheter (median, 16.1 months). The primary patency rates at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years after removal of biliary stent and catheter were 88.2%, 70.0%, 66.2%, 60.5%, and 54.5%, respectively. In the multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, sex, age, underlying disease, relation to surgery, stricture type, biliary stones, history of previous treatment, and stricture site were not significantly associated with the primary patency. Conclusion: Long-term outcomes suggest that percutaneous treatment of benign biliary strictures using temporary placement of retrievable PTFE-covered stents may be a clinically effective method.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.143-154
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• 2023

Advanced malignant hilar biliary obstruction (MHBO) with inaccessible papilla poses a significant challenge to endoscopists, as drainage of multiple liver segments may be warranted. Transpapillary drainage may not be feasible in patients with surgically altered anatomy, duodenal stenosis, prior duodenal self-expanding metal stent, and after initial transpapillary drainage, but require re-intervention for draining separated liver segments. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) and percutaneous trans-hepatic biliary drainage are the feasible options in this scenario. The major advantages of EUS-BD over percutaneous trans-hepatic biliary drainage include a reduction in patient discomfort and internal drainage away from the tumor, thus reducing the possibility of tissue or tumor ingrowth. With innovations, EUS-BD is helpful not only for bilateral communicating MHBO but also for non-communicating systems with bridging hilar stents or isolated right intra-hepatic duct drainage by hepatico-duodenostomy. EUS-guided multi-stent drainage with specially designed cannulas and guidewires has become a reality. A combined approach with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for re-intervention, interventional radiology, and intraductal tumor ablative therapies has been reported. Stent migration and bile leakage can be minimized with proper stent selection and technique, and stent blocks can be managed with EUS-guided interventions in a majority of cases. Future comparative studies are required to establish the role of EUS-guided interventions in MHBO as rescue or primary therapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5617-5620
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• 2014

Objective: To evaluate the prognosis of different ways of drainage for patients with obstructive jaundice caused by hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Materials and Methods: During the period of January 2006- March 2012, percutaneous transhepatic catheter drainage (PTCD)/ percutaneous transhepatic biliary stenting (PTBS) were performed for 89 patients. According to percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC), external drainage was selected if the region of obstruction could not be passed by guide wire or a metallic stent was inserted if it could. External drainage was the first choice if infection was diagnosed before the procedure, and a metallic stent was inserted in one week after the infection was under control. Selection by new infections, the degree of bilirubin decrease, the change of ALT, the time of recurrence of obstruction, and the survival time of patients as the parameters was conducted to evaluate the methods of different interventional treatments regarding prognosis of patients with hilar obstruction caused by hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Results: PTCD was conducted in 6 patients and PTBS in 7 (p<0.05). Reduction of bilirubin levels and ALT levels was obvious after the procedures (p<0.05). The average survival time with PTCD was 161 days and with PTBS was 243 days (p<0.05). Conclusions: With both drainage procedures for obstructive jaundice caused by hilar cholangiocarcinoma improvement in liver function was obvious. PTBS was found to be better than PTCD for prolonging the patient survival.

• Gut and Liver
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.722-727
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• 2018

Background/Aims: Although endoscopic bilateral stent-instent placement is challenging, many recent studies have reported promising outcomes regarding technical success and endoscopic re-intervention. This study aimed to evaluate the technical accessibility of stent-in-stent placement using large cell-type stents in patients with inoperable malignant hilar biliary obstruction. Methods: Forty-three patients with inoperable malignant hilar biliary obstruction from four academic centers were prospectively enrolled from March 2013 to June 2015. Results: Bilateral stent-in-stent placement using two large cell-type stents was successfully performed in 88.4% of the patients (38/43). In four of the five cases with technical failure, the delivery sheath of the second stent became caught in the hook-cross-type vertex of the large cell of the first stent, and subsequent attempts to pass a guidewire and stent assembly through the mesh failed. Functional success was achieved in all cases of technical success. Stent occlusion occurred in 63.2% of the patients (24/38), with a median patient survival of 300 days. The median stent patency was 198 days. The stent patency rate was 82.9%, 63.1%, and 32.1% at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, respectively. Endoscopic re-intervention was performed in 14 patients, whereas 10 underwent percutaneous drainage. Conclusions: Large cell-type stents for endoscopic bilateral stent-in-stent placement had acceptable functional success and stent patency when technically successful. However, the technical difficulty associated with the entanglement of the second stent delivery sheath in the hook-cross-type vertex of the first stent may preclude large cell-type stents from being considered as a dedicated standard tool for stent-in-stent placement.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.211-220
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• 2005

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a percutaneously placed self-expanding metallic stent for the relief of biliary obstruction in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Materials and Methods: From November 2001 to December 2004, 48 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma were prospectively studied. After percutaneous placement of bilateral selfexpanding, uncovered metallic stents, follow-up evaluation was carried out until July 2005. Results: There were 4 cases of Bismuth type II, 21 cases of Bismuth type IIIa, 8 cases of Bismuth type IIIb and 15 cases of Bismuth type IV. Stent placement was technically successful in all patients. All patients had satisfactory biliary drainage, resulting in one week drainage rate of 72.8% and final drainage rate of 91.1%. There were 12 cases (21.3%) of abdominal pain requiring analgesics and 1 case (7.1%) of cholangitis; both were successfully managed with conservative treatments. Late complications occurred in four patient (8.3%), including two patients with cholangitis, one patient with liver abscess, and one patient with biloma; all were appropriately managed by percutaneous drainage. The average length and median durations of stent patency and median survival time were 303 days (range, 60~815) and 338 days (range, 60~1175), respectively. Conclusion: Placement of a percutaneous metallic stent is an effective and safe method for palliation of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.2
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• pp.442-447
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• 2020

Iatrogenic foreign bodies are a challenging complication to both the interventional radiologist and patient, resulting in impaired quality of life and substantial financial cost. The case report describes a successful percutaneous transhepatic removal of an intra-abdominal foreign body. A 72-year-old man underwent surgery for placement of a retrievable covered stent for refractory bile leakage after left hemihepatectomy. Three days after placement, stent folding and migration into a chronic biloma cavity occurred via the bile leakage site. By using a balloon catheter technique, the folded stent could be straightened and repositioned into the bile duct to minimize stent-strut injury during retrieval. The interventional approach could be a valid treatment option for intra-abdominal foreign bodies, as well as intravascular foreign bodies. A thorough understanding of devices and techniques can provide the interventional radiologist with valuable information regarding procedural planning and the management of iatrogenic foreign bodies.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.89-93
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• 2014

Bile leaks are complications that are much more frequent after a high-grade liver injury than after a low-grade liver injury. In this report, we describe the management of bile leaks that were encountered after angiographic embolization in a 27-year-old man with a high-grade blunt liver injury. He had undergone an abdominal irrigation and drainage with a laparotomy on post-injury day (PID) 16 due to bile peritonitis and continuous bile leaks from percutaneous abdominal drainage. He required three percutaneous drainage procedures for a biloma and liver abscesses in hepatic segments 4, 5 and 8, as well as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with biliary stent placement into the intrahepatic biloma via the common bile duct. We detected communication between the biloma and the bilateral intrahepatic duct by using a tubogram. Follow-up abdominal computed tomography on PID 47 showed partial thrombosis of the inferior vena cava at the suprahepatic level, and the patient received anticoagulation therapy with low molecular weight heparin and rivaroxaban. As symptomatic improvement was achieved by using conservative management, the percutaneous drains were removed and the patient was discharged on PID 82.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.65-72
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• 2000

Objective: To compare the efficacy of suprapapillary and transpapillary methods of transhepatic biliary metallic stent placement in malignant biliary strictures and to specify the indications of each method applied. Materials and Methods: Stents were placed in 59 patients. Strictures were categorized as type A (within 3 cm of the ampulla, n = 27), type B (over 3 cm from ampulla, n = 7), type C (within 3 cm of the bending portion, n = 9), or type D (over 3 cm above the bending portion, n=16). The stenting method was suprapapillary in 34 cases and transpapillary in 25. The rates of initial and long-term patency and of early recurrence were compared. Results: Initial patency rates for the suprapapillary and transpapillary methods were 1/7 (14.3%) and 20/20 (100%) respectively for type A (p < 0.0001), 4/5 (80.0%) and 2/2 for type B, 3/7 (42.9%) and 2/2 for type C, and 15/16 (93.8%) and 0/0 for type D. Early recurrence rates were 7/30 (23.3%) using the suprapapillary method and 4/29 (13.8%) using the transpapillary method (p = 0.51). The long-term patency rate did not differ significantly according to either type (p = 0.37) or method (p = 0.62). Conclusion: For good initial patency, the transpapillary method is recommended for strictures of the distal extrahepatic duct near the ampulla and just above the bending portion. Long-term patency is not influenced by the stenting method employed.