Upper intestinal and biliary tract endoprosthesis.

The endoscopic insertion of an endoprosthesis is now a standard procedure in the ultimate palliation of malignant obstructing upper gastrointestinal and biliary malignancy. The commercially available prostheses and introducing devices are adequate for the majority of upper intestinal cancers. For some stricturing lesions, especially when associated with fistula formation, individual adaptation of a tygon prosthesis with extra widening rings is often necessary. Nd: Yag laser vaporisation of mainly exophytic cancerous tissue is mainly indicated for those circumstances which are less amenable to prosthesis insertion such as total luminal obstruction, noncircumferential tumorous involvement, polypoid cancers, excessively necrotic and chronically bleeding tumors, lesions extending within 2 cm of the upper esophageal sphincter, markedly angulated cancers of the cardia with almost horizontal tube positioning and cancerous overgrowth occluding the funnel opening. Overall successful insertion occurs in over 90% of patients. Main complications are perforation 5-8% and early or late dislocation. The procedure related mortality fluctuates around 2 to 4%. Overall results with laser application are roughly comparable. The dysphagia free intervall after laser is only around 6 weeks for the majority of the patients. Transpapillary insertion of a straight Amsterdam-type prosthesis rapidly became a standard procedure for palliation of malignant jaundice. For many patients with pancreatic cancer this endoscopic approach competes favorably with corresponding surgical palliative alternatives. Disappearance of jaundice is to be expected in the vast majority of the patients. The only major unsolved problem remains late clogging with biliary sludge which necessitates insertion of new prostheses. Most problematic to breach are bifurcation tumors. Cholangitis is a major complication if one does not succeed at the first attempt to drain both liver lobes.