Over-the-Wire Stent Exchange Using a Simple Snare Technique in Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography

Stent insertion is an established technique of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) to treat symptomatic malignant or benign biliary strictures, and stent placement is accomplished by using the over-the-wire (OTW) method. In some cases, however, it might be challenging and sometimes time consuming to pass a complex biliary stricture with the guidewire. Stent-exchange technique with a guidewire left in place during stent removal might therefore be helpful to guarantee successful and time-sparing interventions.

A simple method is presented to remove the stent with the guidewire left in place, using the OTW stent-exchange method in ERCP. This technique simplifies stent OTW exchange by using a simple endoscopy snare. This article is part of an expert video encyclopedia.