Preoperative biliary drainage by plastic or self-expandable metal stents in patients with periampullary tumors: results of a randomized clinical study

Abstract

This randomized clinical study was unable to demonstrate any superiority of SEMS in the efficacy of preoperative bile drainage, as assessed by the amount of bacteria in the intraoperatively collected bile. However, some data in favor of SEMS were observed among the clinical secondary outcomes variables (preoperative stent exchange rates) without increases in local inflammatory reactions.