Preoperative Biliary Drainage in Patients with Resectable Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma: Is Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage Safer and More Effective than Endoscopic Biliary Drainage? A Meta-Analysis

Purpose: To determine the best initial procedure for performing preoperative biliary drainage in patients with resectable perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHCC).

Materials and methods: MEDLINE/PubMed and the Cochrane database were searched for all studies published until June 2016 comparing endoscopic biliary drainage (EBD) and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) for preoperative biliary drainage. Meta-analysis was performed by using Review Manager 5.3 software.

Results: Four retrospective studies were identified that met the criteria. The analysis was performed on 433 patients who underwent preoperative biliary drainage for resectable PHCC. Of those, 275 (63.5%) had EBD and 158 (36.5%) had PTBD as the initial procedure. The overall procedure-related morbidity rate was significantly lower in the PTBD group than in the EBD group (39 of 147 [26.5%] vs 82 of 185 [44.3%]; odds ratio [OR], 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39-3.57; P = .0009). The rate of conversion from one procedure to the other was significantly lower in the PTBD group than in the EBD group (8 of 158 [5.0%] vs 73 of 275 [26.5%]; odds ratio, 4.76; 95% CI, 2.71-8.36; P < .00001). Pancreatitis occurred only in the EBD group (25 of 275 [9.0%] vs 0 of 158; OR, 7.46; 95% CI, 3.02-18.44; P < .0001). The cholangitis rate was significantly lower in the PTBD group than in the EBD group (12 of 158 [7.6%] vs 93 of 275 [33.8%]; OR, 5.41; 95% CI, 2.75-10.63; P < .00001).

Conclusions: This meta-analysis shows that PTBD has a lower rate of complications than EBD as the initial procedure to perform preoperative biliary drainage in resectable PHCC. PTBD is associated with less conversion and lower rates of pancreatitis and cholangitis.