Benign Biliary Strictures: Narrowing the Differences Between Endoscopic and Surgical Treatments

Excerpt

Benign biliary strictures (BBS) affecting the common hepatic or bile ducts can be complicated by obstructive jaundice and infection. The majority of benign strictures are iatrogenic, secondary to bile duct injury after liver transplantation or laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with reported incidence ranging from 3 to 13% [1] and 0.2–0.7% [2, 3], respectively. They can also be inflammatory, infectious, or complicate diseases such as chronic pancreatitis. Research into preventative measures for patients who are at greater risk of developing BBS such as liver transplant recipients of reduced-size grafts or grafts subjected to prolonged cold ischemic time, or those with hepatic artery thrombosis or blood group ABO incompatibility [4, 5] is needed. …