Endoscopic treatment of benign biliary stricture using different stents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction
Biodegradable biliary stents (BDBSs), fully covered self-expanded metal stents (FCSEMSs) and multiple plastic stents (MPSs) were common stents in endoscopic treatment of benign biliary stricture (BBS).

Aim
To evaluate the effectiveness of these 3 stents in BBS management.

Material and methods
The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Wiley Library databases were searched for studies that provided data about BBS and stent therapy.

Results
We found that BDBSs were associated with the highest clinical success rate (0.76, 95% CI: 0.71–0.80), followed by MPSs (0.69, 95% CI: 0.63–0.74), and FCSEMSs (0.67, 95% CI: 0.63–0.71). BDBSs also had a relatively high probability of technical success, at 1.00 (95% CI: 1.00–1.00), superior to MPSs (0.95, 95% CI: 0.88–0.99) and FCSEMSs (0.90, 95% CI: 0.85–0.94). The treatment success rate for BDBSs (1.00, 95% CI: 1.00–1.00) was also higher than for MPSs (0.88, 95% CI: 0.72–0.98) and FCSMESs (0.82, 95% CI: 0.76–0.87). However, BDBSs had the highest stricture recurrence rate (0.21, 95% CI: 0.16–0.26), compared with FCSEMSs (0.11, 95% CI: 0.08–0.15) and MPSs (0.07, 95% CI: 0.03–0.13).

Conclusions
Patients with BBS are likely to receive a satisfied outcome when treated with BDBSs.