CLINICAL-EVALUATION OF A NEW NITINOL BILIARY STENT

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of a new nitinol biliary stent (Memotherm(R)) in patients with malignant biliary obstruction. 32 self expanding nitinol stents were applicated in 17 patients. The following parameters were investigated: Difficulty of placement, lateral stability and patency over an observation time between 3 weeks and 11 months. Results: In 29/32 stent application could be performed with high precision. In 3/32 we observed a deplacement about 1 cm - according to the optimal stent position. Stent shortening was about 5 mm in 31/32 stents, secondary shortening only occurred in one patient with primarily distracted stent design. Lateral stability was sufficient in 21/25 stenoses with the consequence that dilatation was only performed in 4 cases. Average stent patency was 4.8 months, the average survival 5.1 months. Because of his special design, this stent may not be used for a stenosis with angulation higher than 90 degrees. Conclusion: Basing on a small calibre introducing system, easy placement, predictable minimal shortening and good lateral stability, the Memotherm(R) seems an interesting alternative to other metal stents.