{"entity":{"id":"biliary-stenting-drainage","kind":"technology","name":"Biliary stenting and drainage","aka":[],"tldr":"A small tube placed by endoscope or through the skin reopens a blocked bile duct, relieving jaundice so chemotherapy can be given.","summary":"Most patients with perihilar or distal bile duct cancer present with obstructive jaundice; ERCP-placed plastic or metal stents, or percutaneous transhepatic drainage, are required before systemic therapy (bilirubin must fall) and before surgery in selected cases. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage and radiofrequency ablation of the stricture through the stent are newer adjuncts.","status":"standard-of-care","asOf":"2026-09-07","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biliary_stent","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biliary_stent"},{"label":"Cancer Research UK: biliary stents","url":"https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/bile-duct-cancer/treatment/stents"},{"label":"Almadi et al., plastic versus self-expandable metal stents for palliation in malignant biliary obstruction, meta-analyses (Am J Gastroenterol 2017)","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ajg.2016.512"},{"label":"Pancreatic Cancer UK: stent for a blocked bile duct","url":"https://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/information-and-support/treatments-for-pancreatic-cancer/stent-for-a-blocked-bile-duct/"},{"label":"NICE NG85: pancreatic cancer in adults, diagnosis and management, recommendations","url":"https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng85/chapter/Recommendations"}],"tags":[],"related":[],"cancers":["cholangiocarcinoma","pancreatic","gallbladder"],"sections":["surgery","supportive-care"],"technologies":[],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":["stent-or-bypass-for-jaundice","biliary-stent-problems","acute-cholangitis"],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"principle":"Restore bile flow across a malignant stricture; self-expanding metal stents stay patent longer than plastic.","strengths":["Rapid symptom relief","Enables chemotherapy dosing"],"limitations":["Cholangitis and stent occlusion","Pre-operative drainage is debated for resectable disease"]},"route":"/technologies/biliary-stenting-drainage/","neighbours":{"cancer":[{"id":"ampullary","kind":"cancer","name":"Ampullary cancer (ampulla of Vater)","route":"/cancers/ampullary/"},{"id":"cholangiocarcinoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Biliary tract cancer (cholangiocarcinoma)","route":"/cancers/cholangiocarcinoma/"},{"id":"borderline-resectable-pdac","kind":"cancer","name":"Borderline resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma","route":"/cancers/borderline-resectable-pdac/"},{"id":"cystic-duct-carcinoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Cystic duct carcinoma","route":"/cancers/cystic-duct-carcinoma/"},{"id":"extrahepatic-cholangiocarcinoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (perihilar and distal)","route":"/cancers/extrahepatic-cholangiocarcinoma/"},{"id":"gallbladder","kind":"cancer","name":"Gallbladder cancer","route":"/cancers/gallbladder/"},{"id":"locally-advanced-pdac","kind":"cancer","name":"Locally advanced unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma","route":"/cancers/locally-advanced-pdac/"},{"id":"metastatic-pdac","kind":"cancer","name":"Metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma","route":"/cancers/metastatic-pdac/"},{"id":"pancreatic","kind":"cancer","name":"Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma","route":"/cancers/pancreatic/"},{"id":"resectable-pdac","kind":"cancer","name":"Resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma","route":"/cancers/resectable-pdac/"}],"section":[{"id":"supportive-care","kind":"section","name":"Supportive Care & Survivorship","route":"/fronts/supportive-care/"},{"id":"surgery","kind":"section","name":"Surgery & Interventional","route":"/fronts/surgery/"}],"term":[{"id":"biliary-drainage-routes","kind":"term","name":"Biliary drainage routes: ERCP stent, percutaneous (PTC) and EUS-guided","route":"/terms/biliary-drainage-routes/"},{"id":"biliary-stent-problems","kind":"term","name":"Biliary stent problems: blockage and infection","route":"/terms/biliary-stent-problems/"},{"id":"acute-cholangitis","kind":"term","name":"Cholangitis: infection of a blocked bile duct","route":"/terms/acute-cholangitis/"},{"id":"jaundice-and-itch-biliary","kind":"term","name":"Living with jaundice and itching (biliary cancer)","route":"/terms/jaundice-and-itch-biliary/"},{"id":"pancreatic-palliation-obstruction-pain-nutrition","kind":"term","name":"Palliation in pancreatic cancer: biliary and duodenal stents, coeliac plexus block, enzymes and cachexia","route":"/terms/pancreatic-palliation-obstruction-pain-nutrition/"},{"id":"stent-or-bypass-for-jaundice","kind":"term","name":"Stent or bypass for jaundice: the choice","route":"/terms/stent-or-bypass-for-jaundice/"}],"trial":[{"id":"tesla-rct","kind":"trial","name":"TESLA RCT","route":"/trials/tesla-rct/"}]}}