EUS-guided gallbladder drainage and subsequent peroral endoscopic cholecystolithotomy: A tool to reduce chemotherapy discontinuation in neoplastic patients?

Endoscopic ultrasonography guided gallbladder drainage: "how and when"

INTRODUCTION

EUS-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) is recognized as an effective minimally invasive alternative technique mainly in managing patients with acute cholecystitis not eligible for cholecystectomy and, more recently, for jaundice relief in inoperable patients with distant malignant biliary obstruction.

AREAS COVERED

This review provides an extensive guide to the actual role of EUS-GBD. A comprehensive search was conducted, including articles pertinent to this review's aims. It explored technical aspects and discussed clinical scenarios most suitable for this procedure compared to other traditional drainage methods (percutaneous or endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage). Moreover, the introduction of lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) has enhanced EUS-GBD by adding the possibility of direct gallbladder inspection and treatment of stones. The indications for performing EUS-GBD have become wider, and several robust studies described the high technical and clinical success rate with an optimal safety profile.

EXPERT OPINION

For optimal EUS-GBD outcomes, a standardized technique and an accurate selection of patients are crucial and should benefit from a multidisciplinary team decision. Still, future efforts are required for more prospective studies to standardize clinical indications, clarify post-procedural management, and acquire new data on long-term follow-up.

A review of endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage and gastroenterostomy: assisted approaches and comparison with alternative techniques

Over the last 40 years, the role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has evolved from being diagnostic to therapeutic. EUS-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) and EUS-guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) are emerging techniques in recent years; however, there are limited studies and inconsistent results regarding these techniques. In addition, EUS has become a more common alternative to traditional interventions due to its super minimally invasive nature, but the mobility of both the gallbladder and intestine makes it challenging to introduce stents. An increasing number of researchers are dedicating themselves to solving this problem, leading to the development of various assisted technologies. Consequently, this review focused on the comparison of EUS-GBD and EUS-GE with other alternative approaches and explored the various assisted techniques employed for EUS-GBD and EUS-GE.

Complications and management of interventional endoscopic ultrasound: A critical review

In the last decades, Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has rapidly grown and evolved from being mainly a diagnostic procedure, to being an interventional and therapeutic tool in several pathological clinical scenarios. With the progressive growth in technical expertise and dedicated devices, interventional endoscopic ultrasound procedures (IEUSP) have shown high rates of technical and clinical success, together with a relatively safe profile. However, the description and the standardization of different and specific types of adverse events (AEs) are still scarce in literature, and, consequently, even less the management of AEs. The aim of this study is to critical review and to describe AEs related to each of the main IEUSP, and to provide an overview on the possible management strategies of endoscopic complications. Future studies and guidelines are surely required to reach a better standardization of different AEs and their best management.

Clinical application and follow-up of electrocautery-enhanced lumen-apposing metal stents for endoscopic ultrasonography-guided interventions

Aim: The lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) is a new device that expands the scope of gastrointestinal intervention under endoscopy. LAMS was initially used for the treatment of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs), but is increasingly being used off-label. The electrocautery system simplifies the deployment of LAMS, making it more suitable for off-label situations. The short-term results of electrocautery-enhanced lumen-apposing metal stents (ECE-LAMS) are satisfactory; however, the long-term follow-up results must be evaluated. The aim of this article is to review the expanded clinical application of ECE-LAMS, the clinical value of on-label and off-label use, and follow-up results.Methods: After searching in PubMed and Web of Science databases using 'electrocautery-enhanced lumen-apposing metal stents' and 'endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) -guided interventions' as keywords, studies related were compiled and examined.Results: ECE-LAMS are widely used for on-label and off-label situations. The short-term and long-term results of ECE-LAMS are satisfactory, but there are still some studies that do not agree with this viewpoint.Conclusion: The clinical application of ECE-LAMS is relatively safe and reliable but more well-designed randomized trials and prospective studies are needed to evaluate the impact of this technology on therapeutic EUS, to improve the safety and success rate of EUS-guided LAMS implantation, and to expand its application in other indications.

Definitive nonsurgical management of stump cholecystitis with EUS-guided lumen-apposing metal stent placement and electrohydraulic lithotripsy

Video 1Definitive nonsurgical management of stump cholecystitis with EUS-guided lumen-apposing metal stent placement and electrohydraulic lithotripsy.

Endoscopic ultrasound in the management of acute cholecystitis

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) is increasingly utilised for patients with acute cholecystitis who are high-risk candidates for surgery. The technique to perform EUS-GBD has evolved and matured over the last two decades since EUS-GBD was first described in 2007 using a nasobiliary catheter. Compared to percutaneous gallbladder drainage (PT-GBD), EUS-GBD offers benefits of shorter hospitalisation stay and lesser procedural pain and need for reintervention. The purpose of this review is to provide an updated review of the equipment and techniques available for EUS-GBD, outcomes of the procedure and how it compares against endoscopic transpapillary drainage (ET-GBD), PT-GBD and laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Controversies surrounding the procedure will also be discussed.

Radiation exposure during modern therapeutic endoscopic ultrasound procedures and standard alternatives

Background and study aims  Therapeutic EUS (t-EUS) is increasingly being adopted in clinical practice in tertiary referral centers; however, little is known about radiation exposure (RE) metrics and diagnostic reference limits for it. Methods  Kerma-area product (KAP [Gy·cm ² ]), Air Kerma and fluoroscopy time were retrospectively evaluated for all consecutive t-EUS procedures performed in San Raffaele Institute between 2019 and 2021. For EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomies (EUS-CDS) and gastroenterostomies (EUS-GE), an equal number of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies (ERCPs) plus metal stenting and duodenal stents were included respectively for comparison. Results  Data from 141 t-EUS procedures were retrieved (49 % pancreatic cancer, 38 % peripancreatic fluid collections). EUS-CDS (N = 44) were mainly performed fluoroless, while ERCPs required a significantly higher RE (KAP = 25 [17-55], P < 0.0001). Fluid collection drainage (EUS-FCD) with lumen apposing metal stents (LAMS, N = 26) were performed fluoroless, while EUS-FCD with double-pigtail plastic stents (DPPS, N = 28) required higher RE (KAP = 23 [13-45]). EUS-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD, N = 6) required scarce RE (KAP = 9 [3-21]) for coaxial DPPS placement. EUS-GE (N = 27) required higher RE than duodenal stenting (KAP = 44 [28-88] versus 29 [19-46], P = 0.03). EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomies (EUS-HGS, N = 10) had the highest RE among t-EUS procedures (KAP = 81 [49-123]). Procedure complexity or intervening complications were evaluated and resulted in higher RE within each procedure. Conclusions  t-EUS procedures have different RE ( P  < 0.000001). EUS-CDS, EUS-GBD, and EUS-FCD with LAMS can be performed with no-to-mild radioscopy, unlike standard alternatives. However, radioscopy remains essential in case of technical difficulties or complications. EUS-GE and EUS-HGS involve a high RE. Endoscopists involved in t-EUS might experience RE higher than category standards, which indicates a need for increased awareness and personalized preventive measures.