Self-expanding metallic stents in benign postoperative biliary strictures: a difficult surgical obstacle?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To report the hazards of surgical management in patients suffering from benign postoperative biliary strictures (BBS) previously treated with self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS). METHODOLOGY: Five patients with BBS were treated by SEMS (Wallstent in 3 patients and Gianturco stent in 2) through an endoscopic (2 patients) or a percutaneous transhepatic route (3 patients). Metallic stent obstruction due to intraprosthetic epithelial hyperplasia was observed in all patients, being responsible for severe cholangitis and intrahepatic stones in 3 and 2 patients respectively. RESULTS: One patient remains free of symptoms but presented with right posterior liver atrophy. Difficult biliary repair was encountered in 3 patients, requiring excision and reconstruction of the main biliary convergence for severely damaged biliary wall and epithelium by metallic stents. One patient with a SEMS extended upward the right secondary biliary divisions required a right hemihepatectomy. CONCLUSIONS: The surgical management of benign biliary strictures is severely complicated by the presence of metallic stents. Thus, SEMS should not be employed for treating BBS in healthy patients with a low operative risk.