Safety and Effectiveness of Colonic Stenting for Ileocecal Valve Obstruction and Usefulness of Two-Step Strategy: Single-Center Retrospective Study

<b>Background:</b> Endoscopic self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) placement is a widely accepted treatment for malignant left-sided colorectal obstruction (LSO) because of its lower invasiveness and quicker symptomatic relief compared to surgery. However, SEMS placement for ileocecal valve obstruction (ICVO) has not been established due to its technical difficulties. <b>Methods:</b> This single-center retrospective study compared the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent SEMS placement for ICVO (ICVO group, <i>n</i> = 13) and LSO (LSO group, <i>n</i> = 146). Particularly in cases with severe small-intestine dilation, we applied a "Two-Step Strategy", which involved long intestinal tube insertion followed by SEMS placement to ensure safety and overcome technical challenges. <b>Results:</b> Patients in the ICVO group were significantly more likely to undergo SEMS placement with the Two-Step Strategy compared to those in the LSO group (76.9% vs. 6.9%, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Both groups achieved similarly high technical and clinical success rates (100% vs. 98.6%, <i>p</i> = 1.000; 92.3% vs. 88.4%, <i>p</i> = 1.000), and the incidence of adverse events also showed no significant difference between the groups (7.7% vs. 13.0%; <i>p</i> = 1.000). Furthermore, the median time to recurrent colorectal obstruction and survival time after SEMS placement did not differ between patients with palliative stenting for ICVO and LSO (not reached vs. 430 days, <i>p</i> = 0.586; 119 days vs. 200 days, <i>p</i> = 0.303). <b>Conclusions</b>: SEMS placement for malignant ICVO is as safe and effective as it is for malignant LSO, and the Two-Step Strategy might be useful in ICVO cases.