[Retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic sphincterotomy for biliary lithiasis. Prospective evaluation in...

Between January 1982 and 1987, 772 consecutive endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographic examinations (ERCP) were performed in 673 consecutive patients suspected of having biliary tract lithiasis (mean age: 62.1 +/- 18.2 years). Two hundred and thirty-two were emergency procedures (30%). Endoscopic sphincterotomy was performed for common bile duct stones (CBDS) in 257 cases (38.0%), of whom 143 (55.6%) had undergone previous cholecystectomy. In 17.2% of cases, ERCP was either a complete (7.8%) or partial (9.4%) failure. In 124 patients for whom microlithiasis was not identified by sonography and who underwent operation, sensitivity and specificity of ERCP was 70% and 87%, respectively. Of 266 patients in whom ES was attempted, 96.6% were achieved and the common bile duct was cleared of stones in 72% of cases. Nineteen percent of patients required two or more attempts at extraction. After ERCP without ES, mortality and morbidity rates were 0.96 and 3.6% respectively. After ES, complications followed in 12.1% of patients and 3.9% died. Mortality and morbidity directly related to ES were 3.1% and 11.3% respectively. The most common complications after ERCP were acute cholangitis and pancreatitis, whereas after ES, acute cholangitis was the most common complication, followed by hemorrhage and duodenocholechocal perforations. These complications occurred independently of age and previous cholecystectomy but was closely related to stone clearance (P < 0.05). Seventy-one patients (10.5%) required operation. Twenty-nine patients underwent emergency surgery for complications with a mortality rate of 17%. Forty-two patients underwent elective surgery for retained CBDS after ES without any mortality.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)