Pre-operative Biliary Drainage Increases Complications in Resectable Periampullary Lesions

Pre-operative biliary drainage significantly raised complication rates in periampullary lesion patients, as shown by a meta-analysis including 35 studies and 2 randomized trials with 12,641 patients. Results revealed higher overall complication rates, increased delayed gastric emptying post-surgery, and a significant rise in wound infections post-operatively in the drainage group. These findings caution against routine pre-operative biliary decompression for better outcomes.