• Victor Lopez-Lopez, Christoph Kuemmerli, Maria Iniesta, Alberto Hiciano-Guillermo, Pedro Cascales-Campos, Alberto Baroja-Mazo, Jose Antonio-Pons, Ignacio Sánchez-Esquer, David Ferreras, Francisco Sánchez-Bueno, Pablo Ramírez, and Ricardo Robles-Campos.
• Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.
• Ann. Surg. 2024 Aug 23.

ObjectiveWe analyzed the use of a self-expandable absorbable biliary stent (SEABS) to reduce biliary complications in liver transplant (LT).BackgroundComplications related to biliary anastomosis are a still a challenge in LT with a high impact on the patient outcomes and hospital costs.MethodsThis non-randomized prospective study was conducted between July 2019 and September 2023 in adult LT patients with duct-to-duct biliary anastomoses. The primary endpoint was to assess early biliary complications at 90 days in LT patients with intraoperative SEABS versus no SEABS. We also compared overall biliary complications, costs and SEABS- adverse effects related.ResultsA total of 158 patients were included, 78 with SEABS and 80 no-SEABS (22 T-tube and 58 no-stent). There were no adverse effects related to SEABS. Early biliary complications (23.8 vs 2.6%, P <0.001) and hospital stay (19 vs 15 days, P= 0.001) were higher in no-SEABS. No-SEABS group required 63 ERCPs and 13 surgeries (including 2 LT) versus 35 ERCPs and 2 surgeries in SEABS group. After PSM between SEABS (n=58) vs no-SEABS (n=58), early biliary complications (40% vs 0%, P<.001) were higher in no-SEABS group. T-tube had more early biliary complications (22.7% vs 5%, P=0.23) compared SEABS high-risk biliary anastomosis. SEABS excess cost per patient was lower compared to T-Tube and no-stent (6.988€ vs 17.992€ vs 36.364€, P=0.036 and P=0.002, respectively).ConclusionsSEABS during biliary anastomosis in LT is feasible with no adverse effects and avoid the T-tube in high-risk biliary anastomoses. It use has been associated with less early biliary complications, hospital costs and reoperations or interventional treatments for biliary complications resolution.Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

10 keywords...

hide…