Stent placement above the sphincter of Oddi permits implementation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with initially unresectable Klatskin tumor

Background and study aims: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) may lead to a successful margin-negative resection in patients with initially unresectable locally advanced Klatskin tumor (IULAKT). Use of removable plastic stents is preferable for the safe implementation of NAC in patients with IULAKT to reduce the risk of recurrent cholangitis. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy associated with the use of plastic stents placed across the stenosis and above the papilla (above stent) during NAC. Patients and methods: In this study, we stratified the patients into two groups chronologically with respect to the period of stent placement: above stent group (n = 17) and across stent group (n = 23) (plastic stent across the sphincter of Oddi). Results: The median stent patency period was 99 days in the above stent group and 31 days in the across stent group ( P