LAUSR

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder stenting (ETGS) can be a bridging therapy to elective cholecystectomy or a permanent gallbladder drainage in patients with symptomatic gallbladder disease who are unfit for surgery or have cholecystectomy deferral. We evaluated the intermediate to long-term outcomes of ETGS in these groups. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 234 patients (acute cholecystitis=147), who were unfit for surgery(n=50) or had deferred cholecystectomy(n=184), and all underwent ETGS between 2012-2021. A 7-Fr,15-cm double pigtail plastic stent was placed for ETGS without scheduled stent exchange. Biliary event (cholecystitis and cholangitis)-free rates were determined at the 6-month, 1-year and 2-year follow-up periods. RESULTS Technical and clinical success rates were 84.6%(198/234) and 97.4%(193/198), respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis(n=193) showed a biliary event-free rate of 99% [95% confidence interval (CI),0.95-1.00] at 6 months, 92% [95%CI,0.87-0.97] at 1 year and 76% (95%CI,0.65-0.93) after 2 years during the median follow-up period of 564 days(200-3001 days). CONCLUSIONS Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder stenting is an effective biliary drainage that should be considered in selected cases with common bile duct stone whose cholecystectomy could not be performed or deferred. Biliary event-free rate was 99% at 6 months and remained 92% at 1 year and 76% after 2-year follow-ups.