Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)-Guided Pancreatic Duct Drainage: The Basics of When and How to Perform EUS-Guided Pancreatic Duct Interventions

Despite the advances in endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreatic duct drainage (EUS-PDD) remains a technically challenging procedure. Technical success rates are greater than 70%; however, the average rate of adverse events is nearly 20%, which increases to 55% when stent migration is included. Until recently, a significant difficulty with this technique was the absence of dedicated devices. Proper patient selection is of utmost importance, and EUS-PDD should be reserved for patients who have failed endoscopic retrograde pancreatography. Furthermore, EUS-PDD must be performed by experienced endoscopists who are familiar with the technique. The most common indications include chronic pancreatitis induced strictures and stones, disconnected pancreatic ducts, inaccessible ampulla, and post-surgical altered anatomy. This manuscript will review the accessories used, techniques employed, and published literature reporting outcomes as well as adverse events regarding EUS-PDD.

New Scopes, New Accessories, New Stents for Interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound

Technological advances have rapidly expanded the therapeutic potential of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Innovations in stent technology; directed adjunctive therapy for pancreatic tumors, including radiofrequency ablation and fiducial marker placement; advanced imaging modalities, including needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy; and new echoendoscopes, such as the forward-viewing linear echoendoscope, are emerging as safe and effective tools and devices for providing a broad range of treatments and therapies previously not thought possible. In this review, we summarize and discuss the new echoendoscopes, accessories, and stents for interventional EUS and highlight the recent literature on technical and therapeutic efficacy. The therapeutic role and indications for EUS are rapidly evolving well beyond its current limits as new EUS-specific designed tools are designed, and ultimately, should help achieve the goal of improving patient outcomes.