Zhang LB, Wang Y, Yang XJ. Bioresorbable biliary stents: A step forward. World J Clin Cases 2025; 13(27): 108391 [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i27.108391]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Xiao-Jun Yang, MD, Professor, Department of General Surgery, Gansu Provincial People’s Hospital, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China. yangxjmd@aliyun.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Sep 26, 2025; 13(27): 108391 Published online Sep 26, 2025. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i27.108391
Bioresorbable biliary stents: A step forward
Li-Bo Zhang, Yan Wang, Xiao-Jun Yang
Li-Bo Zhang, The First Clinical Medical School, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
Yan Wang, Division of Personnel, Gansu Provincial People’s Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
Xiao-Jun Yang, Department of General Surgery, Gansu Provincial People’s Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
Co-first authors: Li-Bo Zhang and Yan Wang.
Author contributions: Zhang LB conceived and outlined the manuscript; Wang Y participated in the discussion and design of the manuscript; Yang XJ contributed to the writing, and editing the manuscript, illustrations, and review of literature.
Supported by PhD Supervisor Training Program, No. 22GSSYA-3; Gansu Provincial Health Industry Research Project, No. GSWSKY2020-45; and Gansu Natural Science Foundation, No. 20JR10RA378.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors of this article declare that they have no relevant conflicts of interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xiao-Jun Yang, MD, Professor, Department of General Surgery, Gansu Provincial People’s Hospital, No. 199 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China. yangxjmd@aliyun.com
Received: April 14, 2025 Revised: May 5, 2025 Accepted: June 13, 2025 Published online: September 26, 2025 Processing time: 114 Days and 22.4 Hours
Abstract
The case report by Elsayed et al presented a multidisciplinary approach to treating recurrent biliary strictures following proximal bile duct injury. Bioresorbable biliary stents, an innovative option for managing biliary strictures in recent years, are a key part of this approach. Unlike traditional metal/plastic stents, bioresorbable stents made from materials like polylactic acid (PLA) or polycaprolactone gradually degrade in the body. This eliminates the need for endoscopic removal, reducing patient trauma and costs. Nondegradable stents often lead to complications such as restenosis, migration, or infection. In contrast, bioresorbable stents can have their degradation rate tailored to the bile duct healing process (e.g., PLA stents remained unobstructed for 25.7 weeks in a porcine model), minimizing long-term complications. We analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of bioresorbable stents, outlined future research directions, and aimed to offer valuable insights for clinical practice.
Core Tip: Biliary biodegradable stents are primarily used to treat benign and malignant conditions such as biliary strictures and bile duct injuries. We discuss a patient with postoperative biliary stricture who achieved significant symptom relief through treatment with a biodegradable stent. This report suggests that biodegradable stents may represent a promising new option worthy of further investigation.
