SEED Consensus Document on SpyGlass-DS

Percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy in the management of hepatolithiasis

The treatment of lithiasis in patients with biliodigestive bypass can be controversial. The combination of percutaneous access together with cholangioscopy is an alternative to surgical treatment for the management of this pathology. In recent years, the appearance of smaller and more flexible fiber-optic cholangioscopes as well as the possibility to perform lithotripsy have changed the treatment of this pathology, providing good results. After our experience, we believe that cholangioscopy assisted by a percutaneous approach is a safe technique, with few complications and early recovery for patients in whom it is not possible to perform endoscopic management.

Adverse events of the single-operator cholangioscopy system: a Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The SpyGlass (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Mass, USA) single-operator cholangioscopy (SOC) system is generally considered to be safe but adds additional risks to those associated with standard ERCP.

METHODS

We evaluated adverse events (AEs) associated with the SpyGlass system reported in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database between January 2016 and August 2023.

RESULTS

From the database, 2311 device problems (SpyGlass DS, 1301; SpyGlass DS II, 1010) were reported. An optical problem was the most reported issue (SpyGlass DS, 83; SpyGlass DS II, 457). Patient-related events were found in 62 of 1743 reports (3.5%): 33 with the SpyGlass DS and 29 with the SpyGlass DS II. The most common AEs were bleeding/hemorrhage followed by perforation; infection, fever, or sepsis; and pancreatitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings add to the existing literature and provide a fuller picture of potential problems associated with the SpyGlass SOC.

Evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of single-operator cholangiopancreatoscopy with the SpyGlass™ system

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

The single-operator cholangiopancreatoscopy (SOCP) with the SpyGlass™ system is a endoscopy technique whose use has grown exponentially in recent years. The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SOCP with SpyGlass™ and determine the factors related to the onset of adverse events (AEs).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Retrospective study at a single tertiary institution with inclusion of all consecutive patients undergoing SOCP with SpyGlass™ from February-2009 to December-2021. No exclusion criteria were considered. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed. The factors associated with the existence of AE were analyzed using Chi-square and Student's t-test.

RESULTS

A total of 95 cases were included. The most common indications were biliary strictures (BS) evaluation (66.3%) or treatment of difficult common bile duct stones (27.4%). Technical and clinical success was attained in 98.9%. Single-session stone clearance was obtained in 84%. The AE rate was 7.4%. To detect malignancy in BS, optical diagnosis presents a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 91.2%, respectively; while histology results were 36.4% and 100% respectively. A previous endoscopic sphincterotomy was associated with a lower rate of AEs (2.4% vs 41.7%; p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

SOCP with SpyGlass™ is a safe and effective technique to diagnose and treat pancreatobiliary pathology. The presence of sphincterotomy performed prior to the procedure could improve the technique's safety.