Risk factors for postoperative pancreatitis associated with diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors for postoperative pancreatitis following endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC), endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) and endoscopic biliary stenting. METHODS: Four hundred and twelve patients referred to the endoscopy unit were divided into seven groups: (i) double ducts (pancreatic duct and biliary duct) contrast media filling group (ERCP group); (ii) biliary duct contrast media filling group (ERC group); (iii) pancreatic duct contrast media filling group (ERP group); (iv) ERCP plus biliary stenting group (ERCP + stent group); (v) ERC plus stenting group (ERC + stent group); (vi) ERCP plus EST and stone extraction (SE) group (ERCP + EST + SE group); and (vii) ERC plus EST and SE group (ERC + EST + SE group). Differences in postoperative serum amylase at 4 and 24 h, as well as clinical symptoms, were compared among the different groups. RESULTS: The incidence of postoperative hyperamylasemia at 4 and 24 h was 17.7 and 4.4%, respectively. The overall incidence of postoperative acute pancreatitis was 3.9% and the ERP group had the highest incidence of postoperative acute pancreatitis among the seven groups. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated pancreatic duct contrast filling during ERCP manipulation is the main risk factor for postoperative pancreatitis and therapeutic ERCP, such as EST, stenting and SE, does not increase the incidence of postoperative pancreatitis.