Background: Endoscopic sphincterotomy without cholecystectomy is a therapeutic option in selected patients after acute biliary pancreatitis. We conducted a prospective evaluation of the long-term effects of sphincterotomy in terms of the need for of subsequent cholecystectomy and the recurrence of gallstone pancreatitis.
Methods: We studied 88 patients with acute biliary pancreatitis and an intact gallbladder who, underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy either because they were high-risk candidates for surgery or because they had refused of cholecystectomy. The median follow-up was 51 months (range, 5-86).
Results: Only two patients (2.2%) experienced recurrent pancreatitis. Subsequent cholecystectomy was performed in 10 patients because of acute cholecystitis in eight cases and biliary colic in two cases. Sixty-six patients (75%) remained asymptomatic.
Conclusions: Endoscopic sphincterotomy is a safe and acceptable alternative to cholecystectomy for the prevention of recurring attacks of gallstone pancreatitis. As a result of this procedure, 75% of patients remained free of symptoms in the long term.