OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of endoscopy in the etiological diagnosis and treatment of post- cholecystectomy syndrome (PCS).
METHODS: 386 patients with PCS were given endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Having been made the etiology clear, patients with choledocholithiasis were subjected to endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) or endoscopic papillary balloon dilatation (EPBD) to extract stones, those with papillary inflammatory stricture to EST or EPBD, those with papillary diverticulum and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD) to EPBD, those with papillary tumor and hepatobiliary tumor to endoscopic metal biliary endoprosthese (EMBE), and those with biliary stricture in the mid bile duct, purulent cholangitis, choledocholithiasis (stones not extracted one time) and bile leakage to endoscopic nose-biliary drainage (ENBD).
RESULTS: ERCP was performed successfully in 371 patients (96.1%). No abnormalities were found endoscopically in 30 patients. In 243 patients with choledocholithiasis, 235 had stones removed after one to three times. Thirty-nine patients with papillary inflammatory stricture were successfully treated with EST or EPBD. Nine patients with papillary diverticulum which oppressed the papillary opening and 7 patients with SOD were also successfully treated with EPBD. In 16 patients with stricture in the mid bile duct, 11 showed improvement after ENBD. Six patients with papillary tumor and 5 patients with hepatobiliary stricture after EMBE showed significant alleviation of jaundice. Six patients with bile leakage caused by cholecystectomy received ENBD successfully, avoiding re-operation. Six patients developed gastroduodenal ulcer and 4 residual stones in the cholecystic duct. Complications occurred in 21 patients (5.7%).
CONCLUSIONS: ERCP may detect the etiology of post-cholecystectomy syndrome at early stage, and therapeutic measures can be taken accordingly in clinical practice.