Objectives: Approach to management of common bile duct stones (CBDS) by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is not standardized. We examined outcomes by applying predetermined protocol for CBDS management.
Methods: When standard extraction techniques failed at ERCP, presence of tapered bile duct and stone-duct ratio were calculated. Large balloon sphincteroplasty (LBS) and/or mechanical/single-operator cholangioscopy-guided lithotripsy was performed based on presence of tapered bile duct and stone-duct mismatch. Primary outcome was single-session ductal clearance. Secondary outcome was adverse events.
Results: Of 409 patients treated over 16 months, 321 (78.5%) had no tapered bile duct or stone-duct mismatch, and single-session ductal clearance was achieved using standard techniques in 99.7% over median duration of 14 min (interquartile range [IQR] 9-21 min). Of 88 (21.5%) patients with difficult CBDS, tapered duct was seen in 79 (89.8%) and/or stone-duct mismatch in 36 (40.9%). Single-session ductal clearance was achieved in all 88 patients (100%) by LBS in 79 (89.8%), mechanical lithotripsy in 20 (22.7%), and single-operator cholangioscopy-guided lithotripsy in 16 (18.2%) over a median duration of 29 min (IQR 17-47 min). Overall, single-session ductal clearance was achieved in 99.8% with adverse events in 17 (4.2%) that included perforation in two, postsphincterotomy bleeding in one, and mild/moderate post-ERCP pancreatitis in 14 patients.
Conclusions: A predetermined protocol optimized outcomes by enabling single-session ductal clearance of CBDS with high technical success and low adverse events.
Keywords: ERCP; bile duct stones; mechanical lithotripsy; single-operator cholangioscopy; sphincteroplasty.
© 2023 The Authors. Digestive Endoscopy published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.