Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography using an anterior oblique-viewing endoscope in patients with altered gastrointestinal anatomy.

Background: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is technically more challenging in patients who have undergone gastrointestinal (GI) reconstruction.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the anterior oblique-viewing endoscope (AOE) for ERCP in patients with a retained major duodenal papilla after GI reconstruction.

Methods: This was a retrospective study involving 40 patients (50 procedures) with a retained papilla after GI reconstruction who underwent ERCP using AOE. Reconstruction consisted of Billroth II gastrectomy (BII) in 25 patients (30 procedures) and Roux-en-Y anastomosis (RY) in 15 patients (20 procedures). In RY cases, the long single-balloon enteroscope (LSBE) was exchanged with AOE after reaching the papilla.

Results: The overall rate of reaching the papilla using AOE was 90.0 % (45/50) [BII; 86.7 % (26/30), RY; 95.0 % (19/20)]. The overall rate of biliary cannulation was 97.8 % (44/45) [BII; 100 % (26/26), RY; 94.7 % (18/19)], and the rate of biliary cannulation for intact papilla was 96.6 % (28/29) [BII; 100 % (14/14), RY; 93.3 % (14/15)]. Treatment success rate in cases of successful biliary cannulation was 97.7 % (43/44) [BII; 100 % (26/26), RY; 94.4 % (17/18)]. The rate of adverse events was 6.0 % (3/50) [BII; 3.3 % (1/30), RY; 10.0 % (2/20)], with mild pancreatitis occurring in 3 cases.

Conclusions: High biliary cannulation and treatment rates can be achieved during ERCP using AOE in altered GI anatomy cases with a retained papilla, as long as the papilla can be reached. In RY cases, exchanging AOE with LSBE is useful after reaching the papilla.