BACKGROUND: Most @entity1 with advanced stage @entity3883 will be suitable for palliation only. Metallic stents are safe, effective and minimally invasive. DESIGN: A review of case notes of @entity1 who had Wallstents inserted percutaneously from January 1996 to December 2000. RESULTS: Eighty-nine @entity1 with a median age of 72 years underwent percutaneous insertion of biliary metal stents. The diagnoses were @entity201 (41.5%), @entity3123 (40.5%), nodal metastases at the porta hepatis (14.6%) and @entity1086 (3.4%). Ninety-six per cent of @entity1 improved their hyperbilirubinaemia to normal levels by 1 month. The median post-procedure hospital stay was 16 days. Early overall complications (within 30 days of stenting) occurred in 30% of @entity1 (70% of these were disease related). The 30 day mortality rate was 20% (n = 18). Fifty (70%) @entity1 were readmitted to hospital, most commonly because of @entity189 (16) or stent obstruction (12). The symptom-free period ranged from 2 weeks to 13 months. Median survival for all @entity1 was 3.5 months. Survival correlated inversely with serum @entity648 at presentation (r = -0.34, P = 0.001), but not with other liver function tests. DISCUSSION: Metal wall stenting for @entity3883 provides good palliation with low, procedure-related morbidity and mortality, but poor overall survival from disease-related morbidity. Survival significantly correlates with pre-stenting serum @entity648 levels. There is a need to identify the subgroup of @entity1 in whom stenting has no beneficial effect.

Percutaneous biliary metal wall stenting in XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity3883 :: ('MESH:D041781', 'Disease') :: ['malignant obstructive jaundice'] @entity3123 :: ('MESH:C562463', 'Disease') :: ['pancreatic carcinoma'] @entity648 :: ('MESH:D001663', 'Chemical') :: ['bilirubin'] @entity189 :: ('MESH:D002277', 'Disease') :: ['carcinomatosis'] @entity201 :: ('MESH:D018281', 'Disease') :: ['cholangiocarcinoma'] @entity1086 :: ('MESH:D005706', 'Disease') :: ['gall bladder cancer']
@entity3883 :: (MESH:D041781,Disease) :: ['malignant obstructive jaundice']
