Outcome of repeat ERCP after initial failed use of a needle knife for biliary access

ACG Clinical Guideline: Diagnosis and Management of Biliary Strictures

A biliary stricture is an abnormal narrowing in the ductal drainage system of the liver that can result in clinically and physiologically relevant obstruction to the flow of bile. The most common and ominous etiology is malignancy, underscoring the importance of a high index of suspicion in the evaluation of this condition. The goals of care in patients with a biliary stricture are confirming or excluding malignancy (diagnosis) and reestablishing flow of bile to the duodenum (drainage); the approach to diagnosis and drainage varies according to anatomic location (extrahepatic vs perihilar). For extrahepatic strictures, endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition is highly accurate and has become the diagnostic mainstay. In contrast, the diagnosis of perihilar strictures remains a challenge. Similarly, the drainage of extrahepatic strictures tends to be more straightforward and safer and less controversial than that of perihilar strictures. Recent evidence has provided some clarity in multiple important areas pertaining to biliary strictures, whereas several remaining controversies require additional research. The goal of this guideline is to provide practicing clinicians with the most evidence-based guidance on the approach to patients with extrahepatic and perihilar strictures, focusing on diagnosis and drainage.

Endoscopic salvage therapy after failed biliary cannulation using advanced techniques: A concise review

Therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) begins with successful biliary cannulation. However, it is not always be successful. The failure of the initial ERCP is attributed to two main aspects: the papilla/biliary orifice is endoscopically accessible, or it is inaccessible. When the papilla/biliary orifice is accessible, bile duct cannulation failure can occur even with advanced cannulation techniques, including double guidewire techniques, transpancreatic sphincterotomy, needle-knife precut papillotomy, or fistulotomy. There is currently no consensus on the next steps of treatment in this setting. Therefore, this review aims to propose and discuss potential endoscopic options for patients who have failed ERCP due to difficult bile duct cannulation. These options include interval ERCP, percutaneous-transhepatic-endoscopic rendezvous procedures (PTE-RV), and endoscopic ultrasound-assisted rendezvous procedures (EUS-RV). The overall success rate for interval ERCP was 76.3% (68%-79% between studies), and the overall adverse event rate was 7.5% (0-15.9% between studies). The overall success rate for PTE-RV was 88.7% (80.4%-100% between studies), and the overall adverse event rate was 13.2% (4.9%-19.2% between studies). For EUS-RV, the overall success rate was 82%-86.1%, and the overall adverse event rate was 13%-15.6%. Because interval ERCP has an acceptably high success rate and lower adverse event rate and does not require additional expertise, facilities, or other specialists, it can be considered the first choice for salvage therapy. EUS-RV can also be considered if local experts are available. For patients in urgent need of biliary drainage, PTE-RV should be considered.

Second endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography after failure of initial biliary cannulation: A single institution retrospective experience

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is not always successful when difficult biliary cannulation occurs. A second ERCP seems to be a worthwhile option following initial failure cannulation; however, relevant data are limited. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the outcomes of repeating ERCP in patients in whom the first biliary cannulation with or without precut sphincterotomy failed. It retrospectively analyzed 4,136 patients who underwent an initial biliary access between June 2016 and September 2020. Data from our databases were analyzed. Efficacy was based on the cannulation rate of the second ERCP and safety was assessed in terms of adverse events. Of 94 patients, 56 (59.6%) underwent a second ERCP and the success rate in biliary cannulation was 83.9% (47 of 56). The median operative time in the second ERCP was shorter than that in the initial procedure (47 vs. 65 min, P<0.001). A total of 5 patients (8.9%) suffered from mild ERCP-associated complications following the second ERCP. Compared with patients that did not undergo a second ERCP, patients that underwent a second ERCP had a lower 30-day mortality rate (13.2 vs. 1.8%, P=0.038). In addition, by univariate and multivariate analysis, it was observed that normal preoperative serum bilirubin levels and an interval time of <3 days were correlated with the cannulation failure of a second ERCP (OR=9.211, P=0.019, OR=6.765, P=0.041, respectively). A second ERCP following failure of an initial biliary cannulation appears to be safe and effective. For most clinically stable patients with an unsuccessful initial ERCP, a second ERCP after 2-4 days may be an optimal strategy. Preoperative normal serum bilirubin levels may be a risk factor that can be used for predicting cannulation failure of a second ERCP procedure.

Percutaneous transhepatic drainage is safe and effective in biliary obstruction-A single-center experience of 599 patients

BACKGROUND

Historically, surgical bilioenteric bypass was the only treatment option for extrahepatic bile duct obstruction, but with technological advancements, percutaneous transhepatic drainage (PTD) and endoscopic solutions were introduced as a less invasive alternative. Endoscopic methods may lead to a decreasing indication of PTD in the future, but today it is still the standard treatment method, especially in hilar obstructions.

METHODS

In our retrospective data analysis, we assessed technical success rate, reintervention rate, morbidity, mortality, and the learning curve of patients treated with PTD over 12 years in a tertiary referral center.

RESULTS

599 patients were treated with 615 percutaneous interventions. 94.5% (566/599) technical success rate; 2.7% (16/599) reintervention rate were achieved. 111 minor and 22 major complications occurred including 1 case of death. In perihilar obstruction, cholangitis were significantly more frequent in cases where endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography had also been performed prior to PTD compared to PTD alone, with 39 (18.2%) and 15 (10.5%) occurrences, respectively.

DISCUSSION

The results and especially the excellent success rates demonstrate that PTD is safe and effective, and it is appropriate for first choice in the treatment algorithm of perihilar stenosis. Ultimately, we concluded that PTD should be performed in experienced centers to achieve low mortality, morbidity, and high success rates.

Troubleshooting Difficult Bile Duct Access: Advanced ERCP Cannulation Techniques, Percutaneous Biliary Drainage, or EUS-Guided Rendezvous Technique?

Despite experienced hands and availability of various well-designed catheters and wires, selective bile duct cannulation may still fail in 10–20% of cases during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). In case standard ERCP cannulation technique fails, salvage options include advanced ERCP cannulation techniques such as double-guidewire technique (DGW) with or without pancreatic stenting and precut papillotomy, percutaneous biliary drainage (PBD), and endoscopic ultrasound-guided Rendezvous (EUS-RV) ERCP. If the pancreatic duct is inadvertently entered during cannulation attempts, DGW technique is a reasonable next step, which can be followed by pancreatic stenting to reduce risks of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). Studies suggest that early precut papillotomy is not associated with a higher risk of PEP, while needle-knife fistulotomy is the preferred method. For patients with critical clinical condition who may not be fit for endoscopy, surgically altered anatomy in which endoscopic biliary drainage is not feasible, and non-communicating multisegmental biliary obstruction, PBD has a unique role to provide successful biliary drainage efficiently in this particular population. As endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided biliary drainage techniques advance, EUS-RV ERCP has been increasingly employed to guide bile duct access and cannulation with satisfactory clinical outcomes and is especially valuable for benign pathology at centres where expertise is available. Endoscopists should become familiar with each technique’s advantages and limitations before deciding the most appropriate treatment that is tailored to patient’s anatomy and clinical needs.

Management of biliary diseases after the failure of initial needle knife precut sphincterotomy for biliary cannulation

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is not always successful even with needle knife precut sphincterotomy (NKPS). How to manage these patients with initial NKPS failure has not been well studied. We report the outcomes of patients who received endoscopic and non-endoscopic rescue treatment after the initial NKPS failure. During the 15 years from 2004 to 2018, 87 patients with initial NKPS failure received interval endoscopic treatment (IET group, n = 43), percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD group, n = 25), or bile duct surgery (BDS group, n = 19) were retrospectively studied. Compared with the PTBD group, the prevalence of choledocholithiasis was higher (69.8% vs. 16.0%, p < 0.001), and malignant bile duct stricture were lower (20.9% vs. 76.0%, p < 0.001) in the IET group. Furthermore, the IET group had a significantly longer time interval between the first and second treatment procedures (4 days vs. 2 days, p = 0.001), a lower technique success rate (79.1% vs. 100%, p = 0.021), and a shorter length of hospital stay (7 days vs. 18 days, p < 0.001). Compared to the BDS group, the only significant finding was that the patients in the IET group were older. Although not statistically significant, the complication rate was lowest in the IET group (7.0%) while highest in the BDS group (15.8%). Complications in the IET group were also mild, as compared with the other two groups. In conclusion, IET should be considered after initial failed NKPS for deep biliary cannulation before contemplating more invasive treatment such as BDS. PTBD may be the alternative therapy for patients with malignant biliary obstruction.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography results three days after a failed pre-cut

INTRODUCTION

deep cannulation of the common bile duct is essential in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). However, cannulation is not possible in approximately 20 % of the cases with the usual techniques. Pre-cutting is an alternative that allows cannulation in difficult cases although its success is not guaranteed. Repeating the ERCP within three days of a failed pre-cut is an acceptable option.

OBJECTIVE

to determine if an ERCP performed three days after a failed pre-cut papillotomy allows the bile duct to be cannulated without increasing complication rates.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

patients who underwent an ERCP plus pre-cut were included, in whom the common bile duct could not be cannulated and who also underwent a new ERCP three days after the initial pre-cut. The primary objective was a successful biliary cannulation in the second ERCP and the secondary objective were the complications of the initial pre-cut.

RESULTS

forty patients with an average age of 65 years were identified and 57 % were male. The indications for ERCP were choledocholithiasis in 95 %, biliary fistula in 2.5 % and pancreatic neoplasia in 2.5 %. The ERCP was repeated three days later in 92.5 % of the cases and the biliary cannulation was successful in 78.3 %.

CONCLUSIONS

a new ERCP performed within three days of a failed pre-cut is justifiable since it has a significant success rate. Bile duct cannulation is achieved in three out of four patients, with an acceptable percentage of complications.

Management of difficult or failed biliary access in initial ERCP: A review of current literature

Selective bile duct cannulation is the prerequisite for all endoscopic biliary therapeutic interventions, but this cannot always be achieved easily. Despite advances and new developments in endoscopic accessories, selective biliary access fails in 5%-15% of cases, even in expert high volume centers. Various techniques - such as double-guidewire induced cannulation, pre-cut papillotomy or transpancreatic sphincterotomy with or without placement of a pancreatic stent - have been used to improve cannulation success rates. Repeated and prolonged attempts at cannulation increase the risk of pancreatitis. Repeating the ERCP within a few days after initial failed pre-cut is a successful strategy and should be tried before contemplating more invasive, alternative interventions such as percutaneous-endoscopic or endoscopic ultrasound guided rendezvous procedure, percutaneous transhepatic or surgical intervention. However, standard guidelines or sequential protocol has not been existed up to now. In certain circumstances, there are unique clinical indications for which invasive, alternative interventions should be preferred. We present and discuss the methods that can be used in difficult or failed initial ERCP, therefore to provide practical advice for endoscopists, especially those who are inexperienced.

State of the art in robotic hepatobiliary surgery

Hepatobiliary (HB) surgery is a challenging surgical subspecialty that requires highly specialized training and an adequate level of experience in order to be performed safely. As a result, minimally invasive HB surgery has been met with slower acceptance as compared to other subspecialties, with many surgeons in the field still reluctant to adopt the approach. Recently development of the robotic platform has provided a tool that can overcome many of the limitations of conventional laparoscopic HB surgery. Augmented dexterity enabled by the endowristed movements, software filtration of the surgeon's movements, and high-definition three-dimensional vision provided by the stereoscopic camera combine to allow steady and careful dissection of the liver hilum structures, as well as prompt and precise endosuturing in cases of intraoperative bleeding. These advantages have fostered many centers to widen the indications for minimally invasive HB and gastric surgery, with encouraging initial results. As one of the surgical groups that has performed the largest number of robot-assisted procedures worldwide, we provide a review of the state of the art in minimally invasive robot-assisted HB surgery.

Early precut fistulotomy for biliary access: time to change the paradigm of "the later, the better"?

BACKGROUND

The precut timing during the biliary cannulation algorithm is a subject of controversy. Some studies suggest that early institution of precut is a safe and effective strategy even though the extent to which this approach may affect the duration of the ERCP is seldom addressed.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the success, safety, and procedure duration of an early precut fistulotomy (group A) versus a classic precut strategy after a difficult biliary cannulation (group B).

DESIGN

Single-center, prospective cohort study.

SETTING

University-affiliated hospital.

PATIENTS

A total of 350 patients with a naïve papilla.

INTERVENTIONS

Standard biliary cannulation followed by needle-knife fistulotomy (NKF).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Biliary cannulation rate, NKF success, adverse events, and ERCP duration.

RESULTS

The overall cannulation rate was similar, at 96% and 94% for groups A and B, respectively. The adverse event rate was 6.2% and 6.4%, respectively, with pancreatitis as the most frequent adverse event (group A, 3.9%; group B, 5.2%). The mean ERCP duration was, however, significantly shorter in group A, both when biliary cannulation was achieved without precutting (14 minutes vs 25 minutes, P < .001) as well as when biliary cannulation was attempted after NKF (18 minutes vs 31 minutes, P < .0001).

LIMITATIONS

Single-center study design, referral center.

CONCLUSIONS

If the endoscopist is experienced in ERCP and precut techniques, an early precut strategy should be the preferred cannulation strategy because this approach is as safe and effective as the late fistulotomy approach and substantially reduces ERCP duration.

Repeat endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography after failed initial precut sphincterotomy for biliary cannulation

AIM: To investigate the outcome of repeating endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP) after initially failed precut sphincterotomy to achieve biliary cannulation.

METHODS: In this retrospective study, consecutive ERCPs performed between January 2009 and September 2012 were included. Data from our endoscopy and radiology reporting databases were analysed for use of precut sphincterotomy, biliary access rate, repeat ERCP rate and complications. Patients with initially failed precut sphincterotomy were identified.

RESULTS: From 1839 consecutive ERCPs, 187 (10%) patients underwent a precut sphincterotomy during the initial ERCP in attempts to cannulate a native papilla. The initial precut was successful in 79/187 (42%). ERCP was repeated in 89/108 (82%) of patients with failed initial precut sphincterotomy after a median interval of 4 d, leading to successful biliary cannulation in 69/89 (78%). In 5 patients a third ERCP was attempted (successful in 4 cases). Overall, repeat ERCP after failed precut at the index ERCP was successful in 73/89 patients (82%). Complications after precut-sphincterotomy were observed in 32/187 (17%) patients including pancreatitis (13%), retroperitoneal perforations (1%), biliary sepsis (0.5%) and haemorrhage (3%).

CONCLUSION: The high success rate of biliary cannulation in a second attempt ERCP justifies repeating ERCP within 2-7 d after unsuccessful precut sphincterotomy before more invasive approaches should be considered.

Safety and efficacy of precut needle-knife fistulotomy

OBJECTIVE. Although precut is considered an useful alternative when standard methods of biliary access have failed, there is some controversy about it's safety. The study aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of needle-knife fistulotomy (NKF) after a difficult biliary cannulation and whether common bile duct (CBD) diameter influenced complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Between November 2006 and December 2010, a total of 1087 consecutive patients with naive papilla were submitted to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for biliary access, in an affiliated university hospital. If the biliary cannulation was unsuccessful after 12-15 min, a NKF was performed. The main outcomes were biliary cannulation rate, NKF success and post-ERCP complications. RESULTS. Biliary cannulation by standard methods was successful in 883 patients (81%). In the remaining 204 patients, NKF was performed and allowed CBD access in 166 (81%), leading to a 96% cannulation rate. A second ERCP was performed in 25 patients, with an NKF success of 90% and an overall biliary cannulation rate of 98%. The post-ERCP complication rate was 7.9% (n = 16) with a 6.4% pancreatitis rate and no deaths. The complication for patients with a CBD ≤ to 4 mm was 13.9% compared with 4.5% in the remaining patients (OR = 3.39, p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS. NKF is a safe and highly useful method of accessing the CBD in the setting of a difficult biliary cannulation. Despite its safety profile, extra caution is needed when applying NKF to patients with thin bile ducts.

[Robotic hepatobiliary and gastric surgery]

Hepatobiliary surgery is a challenging surgical subspecialty that requires highly specialized training and an adequate level of experience in order to be performed safely. As a result, minimally invasive hepatobiliary surgery has been met with slower acceptance as compared to other subspecialties, with many surgeons in the field still reluctant about the approach. On the other hand, gastric surgery is a very popular field of surgery with an extensive amount of literature especially regarding open and laparoscopic surgery but not much about the robotic approach especially for oncological disease. Recent development of the robotic platform has provided a tool able to overcome many of the limitations of conventional laparoscopic hepatobiliary surgery. Augmented dexterity enabled by the endowristed movements, software filtration of the surgeon's movements, and high-definition three-dimensional vision provided by the stereoscopic camera, allow for steady and careful dissection of the liver hilum structures, as well as prompt and precise endosuturing in cases of intraoperative bleeding. These advantages have fostered many centers to widen the indications for minimally invasive hepatobiliary and gastric surgery, with encouraging initial results. As one of the surgical groups that has performed the largest number of robot-assisted procedures worldwide, we provide a review of the state of the art in minimally invasive robot-assisted hepatobiliary and gastric surgery.The English full-text version of this article is available at SpringerLink (under supplemental).