Fully-covered metal stents outperform plastic for biliary drainage

A comprehensive review of 81 studies with 26,251 patients reveals that fully-covered self-expandable metal stents used during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography result in fewer adverse events compared to plastic stents, though they carry a higher risk of pancreatitis. Plastic stents resulted in more complications and shorter duration of effectiveness. Internal stents are identified as the best option for patients with perihilar obstruction, highlighting significant variances in efficacy and safety across preoperative biliary drainage methods.