Transhepatic endoprosthesis and surgical anastomosis in the palliative treatment of bile duct obstructions.
Ninety-six patients with non-resectable malignant tumours occluding the bile duct were treated either with a transhepatic endoprosthesis (n = 60) or a surgical biliointestinal anastomosis (n = 36). The mean survival time for patients treated with a transhepatic endoprosthesis was 5.8 months, as compared with 8,1 months for patients treated surgically. The mortality rates in the first 30 days were 18% and 17% for patients treated anastomosis, respectively. We consider that this militates in favour of an endoprosthesis rather than surgery.