The success rate of cannulation of needle-knife precut is superior to continuing wire-guided after difficult biliary cannulation with pancreatic stent placement.

BACKGROUND

Difficult biliary cannulation and unintended pancreatic cannulation exist in biliary interventions during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Wire-guided cannulation over a pancreatic stent (PS-WGC) and needle-knife precut over a pancreatic stent (PS-NKP) may facilitate biliary cannulation. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of PS-NKP and PS-WGC following guidewire passage into the pancreatic duct.

METHODS

A total of 304 patients who inserted a pancreatic stent and continued cannulation using wire-guided (PS-WGC) or needle-knife precut (PS-NKP) from October 2018 to November 2021 in three centers were ultimately enrolled in this study. The success rate of cannulation and incidence of complications were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Results of the success rate of cannulation in the PS-NKP (n = 98) group were significantly higher compared with the PS-WGC (n = 206) group (96.9% vs. 89.8%; P < 0.05). The overall adverse events were 10.2% (31/304), and PS-NKP had lower (PEP) rates compared with the PS-WGC (3.1% vs. 10.7%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The PS-NKP group is superior to the PS-WGC group in terms of the effectiveness and safety of continued cannulation. Using needle-knife precut, especially early use, over the pancreatic stent to continue cannulation reduced PEP compared with PS-WGC.