Abstract
There has been a recent increase in the number of facilities using self-expandable metallic stents (SEMSs) as first-line palliative treatment for unresectable malignant hilar biliary strictures. Various SEMSs are commercially available, and it is important to understand the characteristics of each SEMS in order to select the appropriate model. Therefore, we retrospectively evaluated SEMS treatment results in unresectable malignant hilar biliary strictures by comparing the differences between the axial forces (AFs) and cell widths (CWs). In the SEMSs groups categorized by AFs, as previously reported by Isayama et al, the cumulative patency duration was longer in the SEMSs with low AFs than in the SEMSs with moderate AFs. Furthermore, endoscopic reinterventions for SEMS occlusion were easier and more feasible in the group of SEMSs with larger CWs.
