Biliary stents in malignant obstructive jaundice due to pancreatic carcinoma: a cost- effectiveness analysis

Health technology The use of two methods for endoscopic placement of biliary stents in patients with pancreatic carcinoma. The methods examined were plastic (polyethylene) stents and metallic stents. Plastic stents were widely used due to their ease of insertion and low costs. However, their major disadvantage was their tendency to clog because of bacterial biofilm formation and biliary sludge. Metallic stents were associated with lower occlusion rates. However, their major disadvantages were the high costs and the difficulty of repositioning or extraction once deployed.