The goal of this study was to compare the advantages of long slim metal stents (LSMSs) versus conventional metal stents in bilateral endoscopic side-by-side (SBS) deployment for malignant hilar biliary obstruction (MHBO).

A total of 140 consecutive patients with MHBO treated by endoscopic bilateral SBS deployment at a high-volume tertiary referral center were analyzed retrospectively; this included 50 patients in the LSMS group and the other 90 patients in the conventional SBS group as control. Propensity score matching at a 1:2 ratio was used to reduce selection bias. The primary outcome was stent patency.

After propensity score matching, no significant difference was observed in stent patency (267 vs 268 days; P = .923) or overall survival (225 vs 211 days; P = .883) between the 2 groups. The technical success rate was 100% in both groups, and the clinical success rate was 91.1% in the LSMS group and 92.9% in the control group ( P = .735). Early and late adverse events were similar (24.4% vs 34.3%, P = .423; 42.2% vs 38.6%, P = .697); the procedure time and bilateral metal stenting time in the LSMS group were significantly shorter (41.0 minutes vs 57.5 minutes, P = .000; 19.0 minutes vs 28.5 minutes, P = .000). The success rate of endoscopic bilateral revisionary stent insertion in the LSMS group was also higher (100% vs 33.3%; P = .000).

Bilateral LSMS placement is a viable option for patients with MHBO. It includes advantages of less operative difficulty and easier future re-intervention over conventional SBS stenting.