Bridging of benign choledochal stenoses by endoscopic retrograde implantation of mesh stents.

A prospective study of a new stent for bridging choledochal stenoses was performed in seven patients (5 females, 2 males, age range 49-80 years) with benign bile duct stenosis or bilioduodenal fistula in whom conventional bougienage (3 patients) and/or month-long implantation of plastic prostheses (7 patients) failed because of reocclusion. The self-expanding mesh stents (Wallstent) were implanted by duodenoscopy in six patients. In one patient with a B-II stomach, the stent could only be inserted by the percutaneous transhepatic route. All prostheses were inserted endoscopically without complications. At follow-up after an average of eight months prosthesis-related complications were found in only one patient; there was no case of prosthesis occlusion. One patient with a bilioduodenal fistula of unknown origin developed fever and sepsis three days after implantation and subsequently a liver abscess which resolved on repeated drainage and antibiotic therapy. Although definitive interpretation of the results requires a longer follow-up period, on the basis of the present data endoscopic reconstructive splinting of benign choledochal stenosis would appear to be a promising technique.