Endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage.

Endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage (ERBD) was completed in 30 of 34 attempts (88.2%). Sixteen patients are alive with functioning stents one to 14 months following insertion of the catheters. Eight patients died with functioning stents two weeks to four months following placement. Six stents were replaced due to sepsis or rising bilirubin one to eight months following initial insertion. The only immediate complication was sepsis, which developed in one patient. Since ERBD circumvents many of the complications associated with percutaneous transhepatic drainage, it has replaced this technique in our institution as the primary non-operative modality for biliary decompression. Percutaneous transhepatic drainage is now reserved for ERBD failures.