Endoscopic stent placement is a common primary management therapy for benign and malignant biliary strictures. However, continuous use of stents is limited by occlusion and migration. Stent technology has evolved significantly over the past two decades to reduce these problems. The purpose of this article is to review current guidelines in managing malignant and benign biliary obstructions, cur...

A significant number of self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs) placed as conservative therapy for malignant biliary obstruction will become occluded [1]. Stent occlusion can be treated endoscopically either by balloon trawling to remove the biliary sludge and debris or by inserting a polyethylene stent or a second stent through the occluded stent [2]. However, these treatments can be given only af...

In the report, we describe a case of refractory benign esophageal strictures from esophageal cancer after an operation for the placement of three partially covered self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs), which were all embedded in the esophageal wall. Using the stent-in-stent technique, the three embedded SEMSs were successfully removed without significant complications. To the best of our knowled...

When patients present with malignant cologastric fistulas, the tumor stage is often advanced and management is only palliative. We report the case of a 75-year-old man with a symptomatic cologastric fistula arising from an advanced tumor in the transverse colon, previously stented owing to malignant obstruction. An 8-cm-long covered self-expanding metal stent (COMVI enteral colonic stent; Taewo...

We present an 82-year-old woman with a 3-month history of progressive dysphagia and a normal initial upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The diagnosis of pseudoachalasia was suspected by oesophageal manometric and barium swallow studies, and confirmed by biopsies revealing an intestinal type carcinoma of the stomach at a repeated endoscopy. In view of the history of heart disease, diabetes, and o...

BACKGROUND Endoscopic stenting is a widely used method for managing esophageal anastomotic leaks and perforations. Self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs) have proved effective in sealing these defects, with a lower rate of displacement than that of self-expanding plastic stents (SEPSs) as a result of tissue proliferation and granulation tissue ingrowth at the uncovered portion of the stent, which ...

1. Serra C, Baltasar A, Andreo L, Pérez N, Bou R, Bengochea M, et al. Treatment of gastric leaks with coated selfexpanding stents after sleeve gastrectomy. Obes Surg. 2007;17:866–72. 2. Casella G, Soricelli E, Rizzello M, Trentino P, Fiocca F, Fantini A, et al. Nonsurgical treatment of staple line leaks after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Obes Surg. 2009;19:821–6. 3. Salinas A, Baptista A, S...

Effective palliation of malignant biliary obstruction with conventional 10 or 12 French gauge straight polyethylene endoprostheses is limited by stent occlusion, which typically occurs four to five months after insertion. Short term follow up studies of self expanding metal stents (Wallstent, Schneider, UK) in the treatment of patients with malignant biliary obstruction have shown that their us...