BACKGROUND: Late migration of a plastic biliary stent after endoscopic placement is a well known complication, but there is little information regarding migration of a plastic stent during multiple stents placement.

CASE REPORT: A white man was hospitalized for severe jaundice due to neoplastic hilar stenosis. Surgical eligibility appeared unclear on admission and endoscopy was carried out, but the first stent migrated proximally at the time of second stent insertion. After failed attempts with various devices, the migrated stent was removed successfully through cannulation with a dilation balloon.

CONCLUSIONS: The migration of a plastic biliary stent during multiple stents placement is a possible complication. In this context, extraction can be very complicated. In our patient, cannulation of a stent with a dilation balloon was the only effective method.

Keywords: Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde, Cholestasis, Intrahepatic - surgery, Device Removal - methods, Foreign-Body Migration - surgery, Stents - adverse effects