Which is better a plastic or metal stent?
Which is better a plastic or metal stent? The choice of stent depends on patient prognosis and the relative costs of metal stents and repeat endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies. In general, plastic stents are reasonable for patients surviving less than three months and metal stents more cost-effective for patients expected to live longer. How long does a plastic biliary stent last? The mean duration of the patency of the stent is about 12 months. The biliary stenting is performed either with plastic or metal stents, studies recommending their replacement after 3-6 months. Patients with long stayed forgotten biliary stents are inevitably...