Incidence of choledochoduodenal sphincter spasm during fentanyl-supplemented anesthesia

One hundred patients were studied prospectively to assess the incidence of spasm of the choledochoduodenal sphincter during biliary tract surgery performed under a fentanyl-supplemented anesthetic technique. The incidence of failure of passage of contrast medium into the duodenum was 3%. In each of the three patients with cholangiographic evidence of sphincter spasm, contrast medium flowed freely into the duodenum after the intravenous administration of 2 mg of glucagon. It is concluded that spasm of the choledochoduodenal sphincter is an uncommon occurrence during fentanyl-supplemented anesthesia and that this method of anesthesia is suitable for biliary tract surgery.