Table 2.

Comparisons of PS and SEMS.

Type	Advantages	Disadvantages	Clinical applications	References
SEMS FCSEMS PCSEMS	FCSEMS can prevent mucosal growth and tissue invasion	FCSEMS is prone to displacement	Long-term drainage	(3, 10, 30, 66, 74)
UCSEMS	UCSEMS can be embedded in the bile duct and is not easily displaced	UCSEMS is prone to blockage and difficult to remove after placement	Palliative treatment for MBS patients less than 12 months
	Larger lumen, stronger support	May lead to complications like cholecystitis and pancreatitis	Preoperative biliary drainage for MBS
	Longer patency time (12 months)	Tumor ingrowth	FCSEMS treatment for BBS should be more than 6 months, and if more than 12 months, the stent should be replaced at 6 months
	No need for multiple treatments	High initial cost	UCSEMS treatment should be based on a clear diagnosis of MBS
PS	Low cost	Prone to displacement	Long-term treatment for BBS patients	(3, 30, 66, 67)
	Easy to insert and remove	Shorter patency time (3–6 months)	MBS patients with a survival time of more than 12 months
	Smaller lumen, multiple stents can be inserted at once	Needs frequent replacement, increasing patient discomfort	Patients with preserved gallbladder
	High safety for long-term placement	May lead to cholangitis, stone formation, etc.	Temporary drainage for undiagnosed patients
	Wide applicability, more flexible use	Overall cost comparable to SEMS

PS, plastic stents; SEMS, self-expanding metal stents.