Temporary, fully covered, self-expanding metal stents work well to address blocked bile ducts, a research team at Weill Cornell Medical College has determined. Their use could be a big advance from the current standard. Permanent plastic stents are the norm, but they require multiple endoscopic procedures and multiple large stents to do the job, and they can lead to stent blockages. Blocked bile ducts can lead to bile fluid leakage into the body, which can be a precursor to everything from severe pain to jaundice and liver failure. Details of the research are published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. Release