Malignant duodenal obstructions: palliative treatment using self-expandable nitinol stents

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Interventional Radiology
• Oncology

Background:

• Malignant duodenal obstructions present significant challenges in palliative care.
• Inoperable obstructions often lead to severe symptoms like nausea and vomiting, impacting quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of fluoroscopic per oral placement of self-expandable nitinol stents.
• To assess this technique as a palliative treatment for malignant duodenal obstructions.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-two patients with inoperable malignant duodenal obstructions underwent fluoroscopic-guided per oral stent placement.
• Four types of self-expandable nitinol stents were utilized in the study.
• Patients presented with severe nausea and recurrent vomiting prior to intervention.

Main Results:

• Technical success rate was high at 95.1% (78/82 patients).
• Food intake capacity improved significantly in 94.9% (74/78) of patients post-stenting.
• Primary stent patency rates were 97.0% at 30 days, 79.8% at 90 days, and 44.0% at 180 days.

Conclusions:

• Fluoroscopic per oral placement of self-expandable nitinol stents is an effective palliative therapy.
• The procedure demonstrates a high success rate and significant improvement in patient quality of life.