Stenting for malignant gastric outlet obstruction: Current status

Malignant gastric outlet obstruction is most commonly seen in the patients with cancers of the pancreas, gallbladder, biliary tree, stomach, and duodenum. The placement of self-expanding metal stents under fluoroscopy or endoscopy has proven to be an alternative to surgical treatment and to have the advantages of being less invasive, having a lower complication rate, and allowing a quicker recovery. In this review article, we provide an overview of current fluoroscopic and endoscopic stenting practice for gastric outlet obstruction with regard to stent design and stenting procedure, efficacy, and complications, and compare stenting and surgery.