Implantation of migrated biliary stents in the digestive tract

Biliary stents constitute an alternative for the palliative treatment of benign or malignant biliary obstruction, biliary strictures, choledocholithiasis, biliary fistulas from lateral lesions of the biliary duct or cystic duct leaks due to slippage of clip closure. Obstruction resulting in cholangitis is common. Proximal migration to the biliary duct or distal migration to the duodenum with subsequent passage per rectum are relatively frequent, but impaction and perforation of the bowel are rare.

Two cases are reported. In one patient a migrated stent impacted in the caecal wall, and in the other the impaction produced a perforation of an adherent small bowel loop. Both patients were treated surgically and made an uneventful recovery.

Biliary stents migrate in 8-10% of patients and are generally eliminated by natural means. Occasionally they impact and perforate the digestive tract, usually in the duodenum or other fixed areas or in bowel affected by adhesions due to a previous operation. Although endoscopy is the treatment of choice to retrieve them, operation should be performed whenever there is suspicion of perforation of the intestinal wall.