Comparison of Adverse Events for Endoscopic vs Percutaneous Biliary Drainage in the Treatment of Malignant Biliary Tract Obstruction in an Inpatient National Cohort

Abstract

Our results support the finding that endoscopic biliary drainage for malignant biliary obstruction is a first-line intervention. Endoscopic drainage is superior to percutaneous drainage, in regard to adverse event rate, for patients with pancreatic cancer. For patients with cholangiocarcinoma, endoscopic drainage is superior in centers that perform a low volume of percutaneous biliary drainage procedures.