Dual catheter placement technique for treatment of biliary anastomotic strictures after liver transplantation

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of percutaneous transhepatic management of anastomotic biliary strictures using the dual catheter placement technique (2 drainage catheters inserted via single percutaneous tract). The protocol of this retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board of our institution and written informed consent was waived. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and subsequent balloon dilation of anastomotic strictures were performed in 79 patients. Serial exchanges of drainage via catheter with larger diameters up to 14-French were performed at 1-month intervals followed by 3 exchanges of dual catheters at 2 month intervals. Drainage catheters were removed when follow-up cholangiography revealed improved strictures without recurrence of symptoms or elevation of biochemical findings. Technical success was achieved in all 79 (100%) patients after percutaneous transhepatic treatment. The mean period of dual catheter placement was 6.5 ± 1.1 months (range, 5.5-14.2 months). Clinical success was achieved in 78 (98.7%) of 79 patients and drainage catheters were removed 23.8 ± 8.8 months (range, 11.4-43.3 months) after the initial percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. Procedure-related complications occurred in 14 (17.8%) patients. During the mean follow-up period of 34.5 ± 3 months (range, 24.4-38.5 months) in the 78 patients, the primary patency rates were 96%, 92%, and 91% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. Seven (9%) of the 78 patients experienced recurrent symptoms at a mean of 15.4 ± 8.9 months (range, 6.1-26.2 months) after catheter removal. In conclusion, the dual catheter placement technique seems to be an easy, safe, and effective method with an acceptable catheter intervention period for the treatment of anastomotic strictures following LDLT. Liver Transpl 17:159–166, 2011. © 2011 AASLD