Proximal bile duct tumors: surgical management with silastic transhepatic biliary stents

Over a nine-year period, 27 patients with proximal biliary tumors were operated upon. In ten of the 27 patients (37%) tumor resection including the hepatic bifurcation was possible, and bilateral hepaticojejunostomies were performed using silastic transhepatic biliary stents. In the remaining 17 patients the tumor was partially resected, dilated, or bypassed, and reconstruction to a Roux-en-Y-jejunal loop was carried out using silastic transhepatic biliary stents. Hospital mortality for those patients undergoing resection was zero, and for the entire group 4% (1/27). The mean bilirubin on admission was 13.2 mg/dl and after discharge fell to a mean of 1.5 mg/dl. Mean survival for the entire group is 18 months with 11 patients still alive. Mean survival for the first nine patients undergoing resection is 21 months with seven patients still alive (one for over 5 years). The 15 patients dying following discharge survived for a mean of 14 months.