Modified percutaneous transhepatic papillary balloon dilation for patients with refractory hepatolithiasis.

Background: Some patients with hepatolithiasis cannot tolerate surgery due to severe cardiac or pulmonary comorbidities, or cannot be endoscopically treated because of altered gastrointestinal anatomies.

Aim: To propose a modified percutaneous transhepatic papillary balloon dilation procedure, and evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of this modality.

Methods: Data from 21 consecutive patients who underwent modified percutaneous transhepatic papillary balloon dilation with hepatolithiasis were retrospectively analyzed.

Salvage treatment of NSCLC recurrence after first-line chemotherapy failure: Iodine-125 seed brachytherapy or microwave ablation?

Background: Salvage treatments for recurrent NSCLC after first-line chemotherapy remain challenging. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical value of microwave ablation (MWA) and iodine-125 brachytherapy, including overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS), local control, hospital stay, and health economics.

Methods: The data of 51 and 32 patients who were treated with MWA and brachytherapy was retrospectively analyzed.

Percutaneous transhepatic extraction and balloon dilation for simultaneous gallbladder stones and common bile duct stones: A novel technique.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of an innovative percutaneous transhepatic extraction and balloon dilation (PTEBD) technique for clearance of gallbladder stones in patients with concomitant stones in the common bile duct (CBD).

Methods: The data from 17 consecutive patients who underwent PTEBD for clearance of gallbladder stones were retrospectively analyzed. After removal of the CBD stones by percutaneous transhepatic balloon dilation (PTBD), the gallbladder stones were extracted to the CBD and pushed into the duodenum with a balloon after dilation of the sphincter of Oddi.