Endoscopic pancreatic stenting is performed to prevent main pancreatic duct obstruction and relieve painful symptoms of chronic pancreatitis.

In some cases, it is quite challenging to remove pancreatic stents using devices such as forceps, balloons, and snares.

We herein report a case in which a fractured pancreatic stent was successfully retrieved using a novel thin-tapered drill dilator after failed removal using various other devices.

A 51-year-old man with chronic pancreatitis was admitted for exchange of an obstructed 10F pancreatic stent. We were unable to negotiate a guidewire through or beside the stent. We used a snare to remove the stent; however, the stent did not move and eventually fractured. The fractured pancreatic stent could not be removed using forceps, a Soehendra stent retriever or a 3 mm-wide thin-tipped balloon catheter.

The stent was completely obstructed, and we were unable to pass the guidewire over the stent. We inserted a novel tapered drill dilator inside the stent and twisted the dilator.

The stent clung to the dilator and was successfully retrieved with no adverse events. Finally, we inserted a new pancreatic stent.

Received: 17 September 2023

Accepted after revision: 19 October 2023

Article published online:
10 November 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany