Slim Metal Stent For Endoscopic Bilateral Stent-By-Stent Placement In Patients With Malignant Hilar Biliary Strictures: A Single Center Prospective Feasibility Study

Endoscopic placement of bilateral metal stents is technically challenging, regardless stent-by-stent or stent-in-stent self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) placement. Various techniques have been reported, however the use of bilateral SEMSs deployment was limited because of increased risks of complications, mortality, lower technical success rate and difficulty of endoscopic re-intervention. To overcome those weaknesses, a novel slim SEMS has been developed with 6 mm in diameter and 10 to 12 cm in length. The aim of the study is to evaluate the technical feasibility, efficacy and safety of the slim SEMS for bilateral placement in malignant hilar biliary strictures.