[Endoscopic bile duct drainage--results]

212 patients were treated with endoscopic endoprosthetic drainage for bile duct obstruction. 137 patients had inoperable malignant obstruction, ten operable malignant tumor, 35 bile duct stones and 30 various benign strictures. Endoprosthetic stenting was successful in 188 patients (88.7%). The remaining 24 patients were treated with percutaneous transhepatic drainage or biliaryintestinal anastomosis, or received no treatment. In patients with successful implantation of endoprostheses, jaundice was relieved in 81% of the cases and pain in 89.6%. Cholangitis was treated with good results in 93.5%. Biliocutanous fistulas closed in two patients. Patency of the endoprostheses was 87 days on average. Replacement of endoprostheses or insertion of additional endoprostheses was performed 130 times. Complications occurred in 52 of 407 procedures (12.6%). Mortality related to the endoscopic endoprosthetic treatment was 4.2%.