AIM To present a series of covered self-expandable metal stents (CSEMS) placed for different indications and to evaluate the effectiveness, complications and extractability of these devices. METHODS We therefore retrospectively reviewed the courses of patients who received CSEMS due to malignant as well as benign biliary strictures and post-sphincterotomy bleeding in our endoscopic unit betwe...

From 1983 until 1987, 4177 outpatient urologic procedures were performed at Shahid Labbafi Nejad Medical Center. 34% of the cases were open surgical, while 66% were endourologic procedures. There was no surgical complication related to the outpatient aspect of the procedure. Rate of infection in open surgical cases was almost zero. The number of procedures was increased each succeeding yea...

Objective: To explore the incidence and severity of pancreatitis and to assess the outcome of all measures taken to treat gallstones in following recovery from pancreatitis in patients 70 years of age or older in a community-based setting. Methods: All patients with pancreatitis as diagnosis in Uppsala, Sweden, 2003–2005, were identifi ed retrospectively. Data relevant for assessing etiology an...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Endoscopic sphincterotomy may be limited in Billroth II gastrectomy because of difficulty in orientating the duodenoscope and sphincterotome as a result of altered anatomy. This study was planned to investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic transpapillary large balloon dilation (EPBD) without preceding sphincterotomy for removal of large CBD stones in Billroth II gastrec...

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES In endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, post-sphincterotomy bleeding (PSB) is a common complication of biliary sphincterotomy. Recently, the temporary placement of fully-covered metal stents (FCMS) into the biliary tree in order to achieve a tamponade effect has been described as an additional therapeutic option for PSB. The aim of this article is to review the ...

One hundred and twenty patients with known common bile duct stones were entered into a prospective randomised study of preoperative endoscopic sphincterotomy and stone clearance (group 1) versus surgery alone (group 2). Five patients were incorrectly entered; the 55 patients randomised to group 1 and the 60 randomised to group 2 were well matched with respect to clinical features and biochemica...