[Treatment methods for malfunctioning endoprostheses]

A survey on treatment options for salvation of malfunctions of biliary endoprostheses is given. If the anatomical situation makes it feasible the endoscopic procedure should be preferred which is less cumbersome to the patient. Percutaneous interventions may include procedures from the mechanical unclogging of the lumen to the removal and changing of the occluded endoprosthesis. The authors emphasize the advantages of the endoprostheses over the external-internal drainage even if interventionalists should count on even multiple changing of endoprostheses due to their tendency to occlusion in patients with a tumor ensuring relative long life expectancy.