A PROPENSITY MATCHED RETROSPECTIVE STUDY ON PREOPERATIVE BILIARY DRAINAGE IN PATIENTS WITH RESECTABLE PERIHILAR CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA: METAL BEATS PLASTIC STENTS?

Aims Adequate preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) is important in patients with resectable perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA). Currently, Uncovered self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) are not recommended due to potential difficult surgical removal. However, SEMS have proven their advantage in the palliative setting showing a much longer patency and even survival. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of PBD with SEMS versus plastic stents (PS) in relation to surgical outcome in resectable pCCA patients.