TY - JOUR
T1 - Biodegradable biliopancreatic stents could help conserve health care resources during the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - An observational multicenter study
AU - Maieron, Andreas
AU - Erhart, Lukas
AU - Pramhofer, Patricia
AU - Schöfl, Rainer
AU - Spaun, Georg
AU - Steiner, Emanuel
AU - Wewalka, Friedrich
AU - Ziachehabi, Alexander
N1 - Funding Information:
Committee for Scientific Integrity and Ethics at Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (GS1-EK-4/712-2021). All stents were provided free of charge by the manufacturer (amg International, Winsen, Germany). This research did not receive any further specific grants from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s)
PY - 2023/3
Y1 - 2023/3
N2 - BACKGROUND: Considering limited resources for follow-up due to COVID-19, we used biodegradable stents (BPBS) for a range of biliopancreatic diseases.AIMS: This observational multicenter study aimed to evaluate technical safety and give first insights into clinical utility.METHODS: Technical success, clinical success, and necessity of follow-up visits for BPBS placed at three Austrian tertiary care hospitals between April 2020 and January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.RESULTS: 63 stents were deployed in 60 patients. Main indications were prophylaxis of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP; n = 30/63; 48%) and bridging of prolonged waiting times to cholecystectomy (n = 21/63; 33%). Median time to surgery was 47 days (range: 136 days). The technical success rate was 94% (n = 59/63; 95% CI [0.84, 0.98]). Technical difficulties primarily arose with dislocations. Clinical success was achieved in 90% (n = 57/63; 95% CI [0.80, 0.96]). Clinical failure despite successful deployment was caused by papillary bleeding (1 patient) and cholestasis (1 patient). Both required reinterventions. No follow-up visits were needed in 97% of cases (n = 57/59; 95% CI [0.88, 1.00]).CONCLUSION: Biodegradable stents could help conserve health care resources without compromising treatment standards for PEP prophylaxis, which is particularly valuable in times of restricted resources. First insights into feasibility as bridging to cholecystectomy indicate a favorable safety profile.
AB - BACKGROUND: Considering limited resources for follow-up due to COVID-19, we used biodegradable stents (BPBS) for a range of biliopancreatic diseases.AIMS: This observational multicenter study aimed to evaluate technical safety and give first insights into clinical utility.METHODS: Technical success, clinical success, and necessity of follow-up visits for BPBS placed at three Austrian tertiary care hospitals between April 2020 and January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.RESULTS: 63 stents were deployed in 60 patients. Main indications were prophylaxis of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP; n = 30/63; 48%) and bridging of prolonged waiting times to cholecystectomy (n = 21/63; 33%). Median time to surgery was 47 days (range: 136 days). The technical success rate was 94% (n = 59/63; 95% CI [0.84, 0.98]). Technical difficulties primarily arose with dislocations. Clinical success was achieved in 90% (n = 57/63; 95% CI [0.80, 0.96]). Clinical failure despite successful deployment was caused by papillary bleeding (1 patient) and cholestasis (1 patient). Both required reinterventions. No follow-up visits were needed in 97% of cases (n = 57/59; 95% CI [0.88, 1.00]).CONCLUSION: Biodegradable stents could help conserve health care resources without compromising treatment standards for PEP prophylaxis, which is particularly valuable in times of restricted resources. First insights into feasibility as bridging to cholecystectomy indicate a favorable safety profile.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146475665&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.dld.2022.12.011
DO - 10.1016/j.dld.2022.12.011
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 36653266
SN - 1590-8658
VL - 55
SP - 310
EP - 315
JO - Digestive and Liver Disease
JF - Digestive and Liver Disease
IS - 3
ER -