Published online Oct 28, 2016. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i40.9022
Peer-review started: May 17, 2016
First decision: July 12, 2016
Revised: August 25, 2016
Accepted: September 6, 2016
Article in press: September 6, 2016
Published online: October 28, 2016
Processing time: 163 Days and 1.9 Hours
In this report, we present 3 cases of malignant small bowel obstruction, treated with palliative care using endoscopic self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) placement, with the aim to identify the safety and efficacy of this procedure. Baseline patient characteristics, procedure methods, procedure time, technical and clinical success rates, complications, and patient outcomes were obtained. All 3 patients had pancreatic cancer with small bowel strictures. One patient received the SEMS using colonoscopy, while the other 2 patients received SEMS placement via double balloon endoscopy using the through-the-overtube technique. The median procedure time was 104 min. The technical and clinical success rates were 100%. Post-treatment, obstructive symptoms in all patients improved, and a low-residue diet could be tolerated. All stents remained within the patients until their deaths. The median overall survival time (stent patency time) was 76 d. SEMS placement is safe and effective as a palliative treatment for malignant small bowel obstruction.
Core tip: We present 3 cases of malignant small bowel obstruction, treated with palliative care using endoscopic self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) placement, and have identified that the procedure is safe and effective. Two patients were treated using the through-the-overtube technique, while the remaining case was the first case of SEMS placement in a malignant distal small bowel obstruction.