When Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP) is not successful or is not possible to be performed due to anatomical reasons (altered anatomy after abdominal surgery) in patients with malignant extrahepatic bile duct obstruction, an alternative method is necessary for biliary drainage. In a recently published meta-analysis (Sharaiha, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 2017), it is reported that percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is less clinical successful, causes more adverse events and needs more re-interventions than endoscopic ultrasound guided biliary drainage (EUBD) in patients with malignant, extrahepatic bile duct obstruction. The conclusion was, that EUBD should be prefered in this clinical setting in future.~An improved technique of PTBD may provide better results for coming comparative studies.~The investigators of this retrospective study therefore analyzed all PTBDs that were performed in a period of nine years in a tertiary referral hospital. In this cohort, the analysis focused on PTBDs with primary metal stent implantation by endoscopic luminal guidance considering technical and clinical success, access route, procedure time, fluoroscopic time, radiation exposure, adverse events and survival probability in an observation time of six months.
In a recently published meta-analysis (Sharaiha, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 2017), it is reported that percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is less clinical successful, causes more adverse events and needs more re-interventions than endoscopic ultrasound guided biliary drainage (EUBD) in patients with malignant, extrahepatic bile duct obstruction. The conclusion was, that EUBD should be prefered in this clinical setting in future.~An improved technique of PTBD may provide better results for coming comparative studies.~The investigators of this retrospective study therefore analyzed all PTBDs that were performed in a period of nine years in a tertiary referral hospital. In this cohort, the analysis focused on PTBDs with primary metal stent implantation by endoscopic luminal guidance.