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Updated: Feb 23, 2026
Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Biliary Drainage: Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Hepaticogastrostomy in Malignant Biliary Obstruction
Published on: March 25, 2022
Preoperative biliary drainage for malignant biliary obstruction: results from a national database
Yasser Shaib1, Mahmoud A Rahal1, Mohammad O Rammal1
1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Background:
The impact of preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) on postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients with malignant biliary obstruction is still unclear. We examined short-term surgical outcomes among drained and non-drained patients.
Methods:
Patients who underwent surgical resection for their malignancies with biliary obstruction were identified using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Participant Use Files from 2014 to 2015. Mortality and morbidity were compared among patients who had PBD to those who did not undergo biliary drainage prior to surgery.
Results:
A total of 2,306 patients were included; of these 1,803 (77.8%) had PBD. The postoperative mortality was 3.0% and 2.2% among direct surgery (DS) group and PBD group, respectively (P = 0.3). Postoperative complications were higher in the PBD group compared to the DS group (27.1% vs. 19.5%; P = 0.0005). Patients in the PBD group had higher risk of sepsis (13.5% vs. 7.2%; P = 0.0001), wound infections (16.5% vs. 10.9%; P = 0.002) and pancreatic fistula (17.5% vs. 12.4%; P = 0.006) compared to the DS group.
Conclusion:
Preoperative biliary drainage is associated with increased risk of sepsis and wound infections, but does not impact the postoperative mortality of patients undergoing PBD.
