ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the safety and feasibility of step-by-step balloon dilatation combined with contineous biliary drainage in treating benign biliary-enteric anastomosis stricture.Methods The clinical data and imaging materials of 49 patients with benign biliary-enteric anastomosis stricture,who were admitted to authors' hospital during the period from January 2008 to March 2014 to receive treatment,were retrospectively analyzed.Before treatment,the diagnosis of benign biliary-enteric anastomosis stricture was confirmed in all patients by color Doppler ultrasound,MRI and/or contrast-enhanced CT scan,endoscopic or DSA-guided anastomosis biopsy.Among the 49 patients,23 patients (study group) were treated with percutaneous transhepatic step-by-step balloon dilatation (the diameter of used balloon was 8 mm initially,then 10 mm balloon was used in the second month,and 12 mm balloon was used in the third month) together with contineous biliary drainage (lasting for 6 months);26 patients (control group) were treated with single percutaneous transhepatic balloon dilatation (balloon diameter of 6 mm or 8 mm) plus biliary drainage (lasting for 6 months).The improvement of clinical symptoms,the incidence of postoperative complications,and the anastomotic patency rate were compared between the two groups.Results Technical success was obtained in all patients.No procedure-related complications,such as biliary tract hemorrhage and perforation,occurred.One week after the treatment,the difference in bilirubin level between the two groups was not statistically significant (P＞0.05).Although the difference in 3-month anastomotic patency rate between the two groups was not statistically significant,the 6-month,12-month and 24-month anastomotic patency rates of the study group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P＜0.05).Three patients in the study group developed recurrent jaundice at 11.2,14.3 and 17.6 months after treatment respectively;MRI and contrast-enhanced CT scan confirmed the diagnosis of anastomotic stricture recurrence,and balloon dilatation together with drainage tube placement had to be carried out again.In the control group,16 patients developed recurrent jaundice within 3.1-17.1 months after balloon dilatation management,among them one patient died of disseminated intravascular coagulation and the remaining 15 patients received balloon dilatation together with drainage tube placement again.Conclusion For benign biliary-enteric anastomosis strictures,step-by-step balloon dilatation combined with persistent biliary drainage is a safe and effective minimally-invasive treatment.