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

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).To evaluate the effectiveness of these 3 stents in BBS management.The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Wiley Library databases were searched for studies that provided data about BBS and stent therapy.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).Patients with BBS are likely to receive a satisfied outcome when treated with BDBSs.