Percutaneous transjejunal biliary dilatation: alternate management for benign strictures.

Since 1980, 23 patients with diffuse benign biliary strictures underwent percutaneous retrograde biliary dilatation through a surgically created jejunal access route. Bile ducts of 15 patients with sclerosing cholangitis, five with traumatic strictures, and three with strictures of diverse etiology were dilated with 25-atm balloons during 88 separate sessions. Individual dilatation intervals ranged between 2 and 36 months. Three patients with sclerosing cholangitis died. One uncomplicated bile duct rupture occurred in the trauma group because of balloon oversizing. Our 5-year experience indicates that bile duct patency can be safely maintained by repeated retrograde dilatations without the need for biliary catheters or stents.