Self-expandable, Fully Covered Metal Stents in Biliary Strictures Due to Chronic Pancreatitis
Self-expandable, Fully Covered Metal Stents in Biliary Strictures Due to Chronic Pancreatitis
The purpose of the study was to analyze the resolution rate of benign biliary strictures due
 to chronic pancreatitis after temporary insertion of unflared-ends and flared-ends fully
 covered self-expandable metal stents.
Endoscopic treatment of benign biliary strictures include the placement of plastic stents or
 Self-Expandable Metal Stents. Long term results of placement of a single plastic stent are
 disappointing. Better results have been obtained by endoscopic insertion of multiple plastic
 stents.

 Biliary Self-Expandable Metal Stents used for malignant strictures are uncovered or partially
 covered with a plastic coating. More recently, fully covered SEMS have been developed and are
 now available on the market and due to their removability are proposed also for benign
 indications.

 Uncovered and partially covered biliary Self-Expandable Metal Stents for chronic
 pancreatitis-related benign biliary strictures on long-term may clog due to tissue ingrowth
 through the uncovered meshes.

 Removable fully covered Self-Expandable Metal Stents seem to be an attractive option for
 CP-related BBS, but scarce data are available in the literature.

 The investigators conducted a feasibility, prospective, tertiary single-centre trial to
 investigate the durable resolution of chronic pancreatitis-related benign biliary strictures
 after temporary insertion of FC SEMS with unflared-ends and flared-ends.
Inclusion Criteria:

 1. age ≥18 years,

 2. symptomatic (persistent cholestasis, jaundice, cholangitis) common bile duct
 strictures secondary to CP, that persist 3 months or more after placement of a single
 10 French plastic stent and

 3. patient unfit for surgery (portal cavernomatosis, comorbidities) or patient refusal of
 surgery.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 1. benign biliary strictures secondary to compression from a pancreatic pseudocyst;

 2. patients with associated pancreatic neoplasia

 3. ongoing alcohol abuse (ethanol > 80 g/day).