Biodegradable Stents in Benign Biliary Strictures: Current Evidence and Future Directions

Benign biliary strictures (BBS), most commonly caused by surgical injury, chronic pancreatitis, or liver transplantation, can lead to biliary obstruction, recurrent cholangitis, and secondary biliary cirrhosis. Endoscopic stenting remains the first-line therapy, but plastic stents often require multiple interventions and carry a high recurrence risk. Biodegradable biliary stents offer a promising alternative by maintaining ductal patency and degrading spontaneously, thereby reducing the need for stent removal. This review evaluates the pathophysiology of BBS, limitations of current treatments, and critically appraises the clinical role of biodegradable stents. We analyze technical performance, clinical outcomes, and complications of biodegradable stents reported in original studies.