Stent placement as a bridge to surgery in malignant biliary obstruction (pancreatic cancer, distal bile duct cancer, and hilar tumors)

Preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) has been a matter of controversy for years. It was initially aimed to improve the clinical status of patients with malignant obstructive jaundice prior to surgery. However, its efficacy and safety have not been proven by randomized controlled trials. Most drawbacks of PBD are related to the increase in procedure-related adverse events and inappropriate biliary decompression. Current trends in PBD show that using self-expanding metallic stents (SEMSs) may reduce the high incidence of stent-related complications with improved outcomes. The aim of this study was to review the current literature regarding PBD in patients with resectable distal pancreaticobiliary and hilar tumors.