Double-pigtail stents are commonly used for drainage in cholangitis to prevent stent migration. We report a case in which a double pigtail stent had migrated proximally into the bile duct and was successfully retrieved after endoscopic papillary large balloon dilatation (EPLBD). An 86-year-old man underwent endoscopic papillary sphincterotomy for cholangitis due to common bile duct stones and had a double-pigtail stent placed in the common bile duct. The patient presented a week later for endoscopic biliary stone removal, but the stent had migrated proximally and could not be visualized during the endoscopy. Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilatation was performed to dilate the papilla to a diameter of 12 mm, following which the stent was grasped and removed. The biliary calculi were subsequently extracted, and the procedure was completed without any complications. This case highlights the potential usefulness of endoscopic papillary large balloon dilatation for retrieving a double-pigtail stent that has migrated to the bile duct.
Keywords: choledocholithiasis; endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; endoscopic sphincterotomy; stent migration; stents.
© 2023 The Authors. DEN Open published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.