Endoscopic stent placement above the intact sphincter of Oddi for biliary strictures after living donor liver transplantation

Background and study aims Biliary complications are one of the most serious morbidities after liver transplantation. Inside-stent is a plastic stent placed above the sphincter of Oddi without endoscopic sphincterotomy against biliary strictures. Our aims were to analyze the long-term efficacy of inside-stent placement in patients with biliary stricture after living donor liver transplantation. Patients and methods Ninety-four patients who experienced biliary stricture that employed duct-to-duct reconstruction were treated with inside-stent placement. Treatment outcomes, including stricture resolution, recurrence, inside-stent patency, and morbidity rate were evaluated retrospectively. Results Ninety-two patients could be evaluated. Resolution of stricture was eventually observed in 81 of 92 patients with an average of 1.4 sessions of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. Of the 81 patients who achieved the resolution of the stricture, recurrent biliary stricture that required intervention occurred in 8 patients. Conversely, stricture remission was achieved 73 patients (90.1 %) during 53 months follow-up after stent removal. Median duration of patency of the initial stent was 189 (range 2–1228) days. Stent dislocation occurred in 10 patients. Adverse event related to inside-stent placement was pancreatitis in 18 cases (mild 13, moderate 5). Conclusions Inside-stent placement achieved long-term patency and high remission rate in patients with biliary stricture after liver transplantation.