Objectives: Fully covered self-expandable metal stents (FCSEMSs) can be effectively placed in patients with benign biliary stricture (BBS). However, stent migration is an inherent problem of FCSEMSs. We evaluated the efficacy of anchoring with a 5F double-pigtail plastic stent (anchoring stent) to prevent migration of an FCSEMS in patients with BBS.
Methods: Between January 2007 and December 2009, 33 of 37 consecutive patients with BBS who had experienced treatment failure of at least one plastic stent placement were prospectively enrolled in this study. The patients with BBS were randomly assigned to undergo FCSEMS placement with or without an anchoring stent (anchoring group: 16 patients; non-anchoring group: 17 patients). The main outcome measures were the stent migration rate and success rates.
Results: The technical success rate was 100% in both groups. Significantly less stent migration occurred in the anchoring group (6.3%, 1/16) than in the non-anchoring group (41.2%, 7/17; P=0.024). The median indwelling time was significantly longer in the anchoring group (154 days; range, 86-176 days) than in the non-anchoring group (114 days; range, 19-162 days; P=0.010). Improvement or resolution of the BBS was confirmed in 15 of 16 patients (93.8%) in the anchoring group, and in 12 of 17 patients (70.6%) in the non-anchoring group (P=0.101).
Conclusions: The placement of an anchoring stent appears to be a simple and effective method of preventing premature migration of FCSEMSs in patients with BBS. Appropriately powered studies are needed to confirm this finding.