https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3883-090X
-
Views
-
Cite
Cite
Ali Husnain, Abdul Aziz Aadam, Rajesh Keswani, Jasmine Sinha, Juan Carlos Caicedo, Andres Duarte, Kristine Stiff, Allison Reiland, Daniel Borja Cacho, Riad Salem, Ahsun Riaz, Outcomes of percutaneous endobiliary radiofrequency ablation in managing resistant benign biliary strictures: a retrospective analysis, British Journal of Radiology, Volume 98, Issue 1165, January 2025, Pages 124–130, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjr/tqae204
Close - Share Icon Share
Abstract
To assess the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous endobiliary radiofrequency ablation (EB-RFA) in the management of refractory benign biliary strictures.
Percutaneous EB-RFA was performed in 15 individuals (M/F = 8/7; median age: 57 [33-84]) for benign biliary strictures resistant to traditional methods (transhepatic cholangioplasty and biliary drains). All patients underwent ≥1 unsuccessful cholangioplasty session and upsizing of their transhepatic biliary drains pre-procedure. Technical and clinical success were defined as luminal gain with enhanced flow and a lack of clinically evident recurrent stricture on follow-up after drain/stent removal, respectively.
A total of 16 EB-RFA procedures were performed. Technical success rate was 100% (16/16). Procedure-related complications occurred in 1/16 cases (drain leakage with subsequent cellulitis). Clinical success rate was 87% (13/15) with a median follow-up of 17 (2-24) months. Drain/stent was not removed in one case (1/16) as the patient was lost to follow-up immediately post-procedure. The one-year patency rate was 100%. A significant reduction was observed in the median number of IR visits (8 [1-51] to 1 [0-9]; P = .003) and drain insertion/exchange procedures (5 [1-45] to 0 [0-6]; P = .003) pre- and post-EB-RFA with a median follow-up of 18 (0-26) months.
Percutaneous EB-RFA can safely and effectively treat refractory benign biliary strictures. However, larger prospective studies with extended follow-ups are needed to gather more robust data.
This study contributes to the limited evidence on the role of EB-RFA in addressing refractory benign biliary strictures, enhancing the understanding of its clinical utility.
