Biodegradable stents in the treatment of biliary strictures after liver transplantation – first experience

Summary: Biliary anastomotic strictures are one of the most common biliary complications in patients after liver transplantation. Biliary complications are associated with higher mortality, morbidity, risk of graft failure and usually require repeated endoscopic interventions with regular stent replacement for treatment. Biodegradable stents are new types of stents made of bio degradable polymers, which may have the main advantage of reducing the number of endoscopic interventions and associated complications. The aim of our article was to describe the cases of two patients after liver transplantation with early biliary anastomotic strictures, which were resolved by endoscopic placement of bio degradable stents. In both cases, endoscopic stent placement was technically feasible and there were no periprocedural or postprocedural complications. The clinical course and fol low-up imaging at 8 months showed regression of the strictures in both patients. Key words: liver transplantation – benign biliary stenoses – bio degradable stent