Novel anti-reflux biliary metal stent with a distal tapered end for distal malignant biliary obstruction: a feasibility study

Abstract

Background and study aims We developed a self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) with a distal tapered end to reproduce the physiological bile flow with a pressure gradient due to the difference in the diameter. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the newly developed distal tapered covered metal stent (TMS) for distal malignant biliary obstruction (DMBO).