CLINICAL STUDY ON ENDOSCOPIC BILIARY DRAINAGE (EBD) FOR THE RELIEF OF OBSTRUCTIVE JAUNDICE

In order to evaluate the efficacy of EBD for the alleviation of obstructive jaundice, 311 patients (66 with benign diseases and 245 with malignant diseases) were entered into this study. 19 patients with malignant biliary obstruction were not indicated for EBD due to extensive cancerous invasion to the duodenum or the papilla Vater. Among the remaining 292 patients, EBD was successfully done in 266 patients (91.1%) and was effective in 246 patients (84.2%). Complications occurring within 1 month after EBD were found in 45 patients. The most frequent one, observed in 39 patients, was biliary infection in malignant biliary obstruction. Cholangitis developed frequently in the patients with malignant hilar strictures treated by endoscopic biliary endoprostheses. There was no death directly attributable to complication within 1 month. EBD is a safe and effective noninvasive biliary drainage method and can be indicated for all the patients with obstructive jaundice.