PERCUTANEOUS RECANALIZATION AND STENTS OF THE BILIARY TREE

Biliary obstruction can be treated by surgical, endoscopic or percutan eous methods. Interventional radiology has the following recanalizatio n methods to offer: external-internal drainage, balloon dilatation of strictures and permanent stent placement. Metallic expandable stents a re becoming very popular. in many centers, endoscopic interventions of the biliary tract have replaced the percutaneous route as a primary p rocedure. Combined radiologic and endoscopic methods are helpful in co mplicated interventions.