Prevention of biliary stenosis by using a bioabsorbable stent

Research Project

Project/Area Number	24659609
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Digestive surgery
Research Institution	Hiroshima University
Principal Investigator	TASHIRO Hirotaka 広島大学, 医歯薬保健学研究院, 准教授 (90359894)
Project Period (FY)	2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
Budget Amount *help	¥3,640,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥840,000) Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000) Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000) Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Keywords	吸収性胆管ステント / 胆管狭窄
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Biliary stricture is a significant cause of morbidity after liver transplantation. Radiopaque biodegradable biliary stents were created through the copolymerization of L-lactide and ε-caprolactone (70: 30), and coated with barium sulfate. These stents were surgically implanted in the common bile duct of 11 pigs. Liver function tests and computed tomography (CT) were performed postoperatively. After the surgery, all 11 pigs had normal liver function. CT at 1 to 2 months postoperatively showed that the biliary stents were located in the hilum of the liver. The stents were not visible in any of the pigs at the 6-month follow-up examination. The surgical implantation of radiopaque biodegradable biliary stents in biliary surgery represents a new option in duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction. This technique appears to be feasible and safe, and is not associated with any significant biliary complications.