Endoscopic Transpapillary Gallbladder Drainage for Acute Cholecystitis using Two Gallbladder Stents (Dual Gallbladder...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Acute cholecystitis (AC) in high-risk patients often requires alternative management strategies.
• Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETPGBD) is an emerging technique for AC.
• Stent obstruction is a known complication of ETPGBD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate a novel dual-stenting technique for ETPGBD in AC.
• To assess the technical feasibility, safety, and efficacy of dual ETPGBD.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 21 patients undergoing dual ETPGBD for AC (November 2017 - August 2020).
• Dual stents placed during the index procedure or an interval procedure (4-6 weeks later).
• Evaluation of technical/clinical success, adverse events, and long-term outcomes.

Main Results:

• 100% technical and clinical success rates observed.
• Low recurrence rate (4.76%) and adverse event rate (9.52%).
• Mean follow-up of 471.74 days demonstrated sustained efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Dual ETPGBD is a safe and effective method for long-term gallbladder drainage in non-surgical AC patients.
• Further controlled studies are warranted to confirm these findings for broader application.