Malignant Biliary Obstruction: the Current Role of Interventional Radiology

Overview

Journal Ann Gastroenterol

Specialty Gastroenterology

Date 2016 Jan 12

PMID 26752947

Citations 7

Authors

Dimitrios Tsetis

Miltiadis Krokidis

Dragos Negru

Panagiotis Prassopoulos

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cholangiocarcinoma and pancreatic head cancer are still linked with extremely high 5-year mortality in the western world. The management of such patients is complex and typically requires a multidisciplinary approach in a tertiary care center. Interventional radiology offers minimally invasive, image-guided treatment for a variety of diseases and conditions. Regarding patients with malignant biliary obstruction, IR options are considered for more than two decades as a valid management tool for both operable and non-operable cases. The options include placement of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drains, preoperative embolization of the portal vein and deployment of covered and uncovered biliary stents. The purpose of this review is to describe the current evidence in this continuously evolving field.

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