Safety and efficacy of duodenal stent insertion for gastric outlet obstruction: characterisation of a regional district general hospital service

INTRODUCTION Placement of a duodenal or pyloric stent is a recognised palliative procedure for symptomatic relief of malignant gastric outlet obstruction. This procedure can be associated with significant complications, reinterventions and poor long-term relief of obstructive symptoms. However, there may be a faster return to diet and shorter hospital stay in comparison to other palliative procedures (eg gastrojejunostomy). The aim of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of duodenal stenting in our regional district general hospital in comparison to that of larger tertiary centres. MATERIALS AND METHODS All patients with gastric outlet obstruction who had duodenal stent placement attempted in our region between 1 August 2013 and 31 July 2018 were identified by retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained coding databases and medical notes. Patient demographics, safety outcomes and efficacy outcomes were then extracted. Results were interpreted with respect to data from best available published evidence from larger tertiary centres. RESULTS Of 43 duodenal stent insertion attempts, 84% had a successful return to diet, 18% underwent reintervention, 18% suffered adverse events, mean length of stay post-intervention was 8.6 days and mean survival post-intervention was 132 days. CONCLUSIONS Patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction in whom duodenal stent placement was attempted had similar outcomes to published data from larger tertiary centres. Duodenal stent placement remains an acceptable treatment option for these patients in our region.