A Rare Case of a Forgotten Common Bile Duct Stent Retained for 23 Years

Forgotten biliary stents are rarely encountered in hepatobiliary practice. Most patients undergo timely removal of a common bile duct (CBD) stent by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), or sometimes the stent may spontaneously migrate into the gastrointestinal tract and be expelled with stool. Delayed removal or prolonged retention of plastic CBD stents increases the risk of cholangitis, stent blockage, and stent stone formation. We report a case of a 54-year-old male patient with a forgotten stent for almost 23 years, with recurrent episodes of cholangitis and hospital admissions. The patient was initially managed for cholangitis and subsequently underwent open CBD exploration with removal of the stent-stone complex, followed by side-to-side choledochoduodenostomy. This case highlights the importance of follow-up, proper patient communication, and counseling regarding the importance of timely removal of CBD stents to avoid complications related to forgotten stents.