BACKGROUND: There is no substantial evidence for the use of biliary stents in bile duct reconstruction during liver transplantation. METHOD: A longitudinal, retrospective cohort study was performed to compare biliary complications between stented and non-stented patients between 2011 and 2015 at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. RESULTS: We found no significant difference in biliary complications between stented and non-stented groups. Stented patients were 3.31 times as likely to require subsequent intervention, mainly in the form of stent removal. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there is limited benefit in the placement of endobiliary stents in liver transplantation. Given that this was purely an observational study, causality cannot be proven and a prospective cohort trial would be beneficial in further defining these relationships.
BACKGROUND: There is no substantial evidence for the use of biliary stents in bile duct reconstruction during liver transplantation. METHOD: A longitudinal, retrospective cohort study was performed to compare biliary complications between stented and non-stented patients between 2011 and 2015 at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. RESULTS: We found no significant difference in biliary complications between stented and non-stented groups. Stented patients were 3.31 times as likely to require subsequent intervention, mainly in the form of stent removal. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there is limited benefit in the placement of endobiliary stents in liver transplantation. Given that this was purely an observational study, causality cannot be proven and a prospective cohort trial would be beneficial in further defining these relationships.