Response:

We thank Dr Tringali and colleagues1 for their interest in our article, "Covered self-expanding metal stents for the management of common bile duct stones."2 It provides further evidence that biliary stenting not only ensures biliary drainage but also aids in stone extraction. Their 6 cases add to the 5 retrospective series (including Hartery et al2) and a single case report, including a total of 160 patients, currently published reporting common bile duct (CBD) stone clearance rates varying from 82% to 95% in patients from whom the stent was removed (Table 1).

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