Metal stents
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Hi Andy
I know that alot of people (especially in the US) have their plastic stents changed routinely at 2-3 months, but we are in the UK so of course things happen differently !
My mum had her last stent change on the 1st of June last year and so far it is still going strong…. Her first stent did only last 3 months but they only changed it because she got an infection and was ill. They will do the same with this one too. So far so good but of course it has been so long now I keep expecting her to get ill with it any day. At first I thought it would be better for them just to change it routinely but seeing that doing it this way has saved her a couple of ERCP day admissions (and the risk of infection) then maybe it has been worth it.
But, just to say that the plastic stents can last longer, and since you are cancer free then maybe that will be the case with you.
best wishesJemima
Hi Andy,
Glad to hear that you are now back home and loving being at home, there is no place like home after all! And happy to hear as well that you got the stent inserted and that it is working as it should.
Please keep us updated as to how you are doing.
Best wishes,
Gavin
Andy,
My husband has had 28 ERCPs over the past 4 1/2 years. They are definitely better than surgery but do have their hazards. He has gone off and on without stents for months at a time but they are currently keeping his in because of infection issues. He gets his changed every 10 weeks. Just make sure they give you oral antibiotics to take after the procedures. That seems to keep him from having any problems and it sounds like infection is already an issue with you. Take care. I hope things work out well. MaryHi Andy,
So glad you are sorted out and back at home.
My Dad had metal inside metal and when they blocked they couldn’t remove them and they also narrowed the bile duct, so plastic ones seem to be the much better option. Hopefully they will last longer than 3 months but my Dad would have taken an ERCP over a stabbing anyday!!
What you mention regarding the new technology to clean out metal stents sounds interesting too.
Take care, enjoy being home and please keep us updated.
Best wishes
Andrea
Hi All
Thanks for your suggestions and support. After rather a long stay in hospital (I went in for a couple of days, but actually spent most of January in hospital, as I got an infection in my bile duct, then got dehydrated, then got another infection in Gall Bladder, but all is now well) I’m now home again and loving being here.
In the end after several discussions we decided:
1. Not to put more metal stents inside the first ones (as what happens after another year or two? – we can’t do it forever like that),
2. Not to just leave it – as it would clog up pretty quickly anyway,
3. So the only option left was plastic stents inside my metal ones. This is now done, and all is working perfectly. The only problem will be after 3 months or so when/if they block, as they’ll need replacing again. However this should be an ERCP thing, not a stabbing, so less intrusive.There is another option we discussed, which uses a new bit of technology to clean the inside of the metal stent by cutting away all the cells and stuff sitting there. As this is still new (at least here in my part of the UK) it’s a bit experimental but sounds like it could be good. Also done via ERCP so not intrusive. Will keep you posted as to what we do next – but it will be a while or so yet as for now all is working fine.
In the meantime thanks again for your thoughts – and enjoy every day!
Andy
Andy…. I don’t have much to add to the comments already made by Andy Mary and Gavin other than that another stent may be inserted. Most of all I am thrilled to hear that you are doing so well. Keep it up.
All my best wishes,
MarionHi Andy,
That is great to hear that you are doing well and thank you for coming back and letting us know how you are doing. My dad also had the metal stent inserted and he never had it replaced or cleaned.
Have you spoken with your doctors as to what to do regarding this issue and taking a longer term view of things, and if so, what did they say? As I understand it, metal stents can last about 12 months or so before clogging and the plastic ones around 3 months. Is this the first time that your metal stent has clogged and if so, how long have you had it for? When you say that you can have another stent inserted, I assume that that would be another metal one inside the original metal one?
Maybe you could speak with your doctors about the options of getting the original one cleaned out when needed and see what they say to that. I’m sorry that I can’t really offer any more advice with metal stents as my dad only had the one and it was not changed or cleaned etc. Hopefully others will have other suggestion or will be able to share their experiences with you. And if you can speak with your docs about this then I would be interested to hear what they say to you regarding this.
My best wishes to you,
Gavin
HI Andy,
I am also glad you are still doing well. I like to point out your story and my husband’s story to people who feel all is lost if they can’t have a resection. It’s really too bad that they inserted the metal stents right away. We fought that right from the beginning and only agreed to plastic stents when necessary because the metal ones would become permanent as yours now have. The only thing I have heard of is flushing the metal stents or putting plastic ones inside which will have to be changed on a regular schedule-usually every two-three months. My husband is going in for his 27 th ERCP on Weds to have his plastic stent removed. It is a real worry every time because of the possibility of infection but it is what it is, just something we have to deal with and you may have to too. I know you have done a lot of research on things but diet is important when dealing with stents. One of our old friends here years ago told me that dairy products can cause the stents to clog quickly because they cause more mucous to be produced during digestion which can cause a backup in the ducts. None of our Docs had ever heard about this but it really is true. If Tom eats too much dairy, cheese, ice cream, high fat content products, etc. he gets sick and if he has a stent in, usually will need it changed. If he doesn’t have a stent in he will still get sick and have some blockage but by drinking lots of fluids he can usually flush his system out. He fought the idea of not eating dairy for a long time but really doesn’t want to get sick so is very careful now. I don’t know if any of this helps, unfortunately there isn’t much that can be done. Have they biopsied the tissue at the stent site? Take care and keep the good news coming! MaryHi Andy,
So glad to hear you’re still doing well. My Dad was told he would have plastic stents put inside his metal if they stopped working. They would have to be replaced every 2-3 months. My Dad has an external drain now though as unfortunatley his tumor blocked his stent completely. He is managing with this ok though.
Hopefully someone will be along soon with more experience of metal stents.
Best wishes
Andrea
Hi – this is a query to any survivors out there with metal stents.
I was diagnosed in Feb 2009, and the only option at the time were two metal stents + chemo + a range of alternative therapies (they don’t do resections etc in the UK if you have potential secondaries – and I had three lymph nodes swollen). The good news is I’m now fine and cancer free (since November 2009) – you can read my story here: http://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/punbb/viewtopic.php?id=4553)
The slight puzzle is what to do with my stents. They just blocked over New Year so I was jaundiced (again!) and now have been cleared so bilirubin on its way down.
But does anyone else have experience of long-term metal stent management? Mine can’t be taken out as my bile duct cell wall has grown through the mesh. I could have another stent inside it, but then after another 2 years where does that leave me? And plastic stents don’t work, according to my radiologist, as they clog up too fast.
So any info or ideas are welcome!
Thanks in advance,
Andy
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