Background & aims: Therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography requires selective cannulation of the relevant ductal system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 3 different precutting techniques for difficult bile duct access on the basis of the characteristics of the major duodenal papilla (MDP).
Methods: The patients were classified into small MDP, large MDP, or swollen MDP groups on the basis of the characteristics of the MDP. The precutting technique was based on MDP characteristics: transpancreatic sphincterotomy for small MDPs, needle-knife precut sphincterotomy for large MDPs, and needle-knife fistulotomy for swollen MDPs. The success rate of bile duct cannulation and the complication rates were compared.
Results: A total of 86 patients (58 men; mean age, 76 years) with difficult bile duct cannulation required precutting technique; 48 had transpancreatic sphincterotomy, 30 had needle-knife precut sphincterotomy, and 8 had needle-knife fistulotomy. With precutting, the procedure was successful in 46 of 48 (96%), 27 of 30 (90%), and 8 of 8 patients (100%), respectively. The overall success rate of biliary cannulation after 2 endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography attempts was 100%. The overall complication rate was 4.7% (4 of 86) (2 mild bleeding and 2 mild pancreatitis).
Conclusions: Selection of the precutting technique on the basis of the characteristics of the MDP resulted in a high degree of success and a low complication rate in cases of difficult bile duct cannulation.