Challenging Management of Acute Cholangitis in a Patient With Unextractable Common Bile Duct Stone Post Gastrojejunostomy Surgery.

This case report details the management of an 89-year-old female with a complex surgical history, including cholecystectomy, left hepatectomy, and repair of an iatrogenic duodenal perforation, who presented with acute cholangitis due to a large common bile duct stone. Faced with the challenges of altered anatomy and the patient's frailty, a multidisciplinary team employed a series of interventions, including percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The case was further complicated by difficulties in navigating the altered biliary tract, necessitating the use of advanced endoscopic techniques such as cholangioscopy and electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) for stone fragmentation and removal, leading to the successful resolution of the obstruction. This report underscores the importance of individualized care and highlights the efficacy of innovative endoscopic approaches in managing complex biliary disorders in elderly patients with significant surgical histories.

Novel peroral cholangioscopy-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy for difficult stones.

Miwa and colleagues report on their experience with a newly developed peroral cholangioscope that is effective for the removal of difficult stones in the common bile duct and the cystic duct. The scope offers a large working channel and a high mobility bending section, increasing the efficacy of electrohydraulic lithotripsy.

Management of Pancreatic Duct Stones: Nonextracorporeal Approach.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is an ongoing inflammatory disease with most patients developing pancreatic calculi during their course of disease. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a first-line treatment option in patients with large lumen obstructing pancreatic duct (PD) stones. In patients with CP and PD dilatation, digital single-operator pancreatoscopy (DSOP)-guided lithotripsy seems to be an appealing option to ESWL and surgery. DSOP-guided lithotripsy for the treatment of large symptomatic PD-stones has been demonstrated to be safe, technically, and clinically effective, and should be regarded as an alternative endoscopic treatment of certain patients.

No Stone Left Unturned: Bouveret Syndrome Treated With Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy and Open Extraction With Pyloric Exclusion and Gastrojejunostomy.

Bouveret syndrome is ectopic gallstone impaction and obstruction of the duodenum or pylorus affecting a small minority of gallstone ileus cases. There have been advances in its endoscopic management, but this remains a challenging condition to treat successfully. We present a patient with Bouveret syndrome who required open surgical extraction and gastrojejunostomy after attempts of endoscopic retrieval and electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL). A 79-year-old man with a medical history of gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on 5 liters of oxygen at baseline, and coronary artery disease with recent stenting presented to the hospital with three days of abdominal pain and vomiting. CT of the abdomen/pelvis demonstrated gastric outlet obstruction, a 4.5 cm gallstone in the proximal duodenum, cholecystoduodenal fistula, gallbladder wall thickening, and pneumobilia. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) demonstrated a black pigmented stone impacted in the duodenal bulb with ulceration of the inferior wall. Repeated Roth net retrieval attempts of the stone were unsuccessful even after biopsy forceps were used to trim the stone's margins. The next day, EGD with EHL used 20 shocks of 200 watts, allowing for partial stone removal and fragmentation, but the majority of the stone remained stuck to the wall. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was attempted but was converted to an open extraction of the gallstone from the duodenum, pyloric exclusion, and gastrojejunostomy. The gallbladder remained in place, and the cholecystoduodenal fistula was not surgically repaired. The patient experienced significant postoperative pulmonary insufficiency and remained on the ventilator with failure of multiple spontaneous breathing trials. Postoperative imaging showed resolution of pneumobilia but a small amount of contrast leaked from the duodenum revealing the fistula's persistence. After 14 days of unsuccessful ventilator weaning, the family opted for palliative extubation. Advanced endoscopic techniques have been regarded as the first-line intervention for Bouveret syndrome as there is low morbidity and mortality associated with them. However, there is a reduced success rate compared to surgical intervention. Open surgical management has high morbidity and mortality in the elderly and comorbid patients commonly affected by this condition. Thus, the risks and benefits must be weighed and individualized for each patient with Bouveret syndrome before therapeutic intervention.

Laparoscopic treatment of Mirizzi syndrome with subtotal cholecystectomy and electrohydraulic lithotripsy: A case report.

Mirizzi syndrome is a rare chronic cholecystitis complication. However, the current consensus on managing this condition remains controversial, especially through laparoscopic surgery. This report describes the feasibility of treating type I Mirizzi syndrome with laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy and electrohydraulic lithotripsic gallstone removal. A 53-year-old woman presented with dark urine and right upper quadrant pain for 1 month. On examination, she was jaundiced. Blood tests showed highly elevated liver and biliary enzyme levels. Abdominal ultrasound showed a slightly dilated common bile duct with suspicion of choledocholithiasis. However, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed a narrowed common bile duct extrinsically compressed by a gallstone in the cystic duct, establishing a Mirizzi syndrome diagnosis. Elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy was planned. At operation, the trans-infundibulum approach was used since dissection around the cystic duct was difficult due to severe local inflammation of Calot's triangle. The gallbladder's neck was opened, and the stone was removed by lithotripsy via a flexible choledochoscope. Common bile duct exploration through the cystic duct was normal. The fundus and body of the gallbladder were resected, followed by T-tube drainage and suturing of the gallbladder's neck. The patient's postoperative clinical course was uneventful. Treating Mirizzi syndrome remains a major challenge for hepatobiliary specialists even with open surgery due to high complication rates, including bile duct injuries. Treatment is primarily to clear out the responsible stone and necrotic tissue. Due to advances in endoscopic surgery and equipment, subtotal cholecystectomy with laparoscopic gallstone extraction provides a safe and effective option for patients with Mirizzi syndrome. Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy with electrohydraulic lithotripsy is a feasible and useful approach for treating Mirizzi syndrome that avoids iatrogenic bile duct injury.

The Rolling Stone: Bouveret Syndrome Requiring Open Gastrotomy After Failing Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy.

Bouveret syndrome (BS) is an extremely rare form of gallstone ileus where a stone travels through a biliary-enteric fistula and causes gastric outlet obstruction. A 92-year-old male presented with gastric outlet obstruction secondary to an impacted gallstone in the duodenal bulb seen on imaging. Endoscopic therapy failed twice due to the immense gallstone size, and an open gastrotomy was required to remove the stone. The procedure was successful; however, the patient, unfortunately, passed away days after the operation due to other hospital illnesses. BS should be considered in patients with advanced age and significant comorbidities presenting with gastric outlet obstruction.

Cholangioscopy-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy versus laser lithotripsy for the treatment of choledocholithiasis: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic management of large bile duct stones may be challenging and refractory to standard endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) techniques. To this end, per-oral cholangioscopy (POC)-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) or laser lithotripsy (LL) has been increasingly utilized during ERCP. There are limited data, however, comparing EHL and LL in the management of choledocholithiasis. Therefore, the aim was to analyze and compare the efficacy of POC-guided EHL and LL for the treatment of choledocholithiasis. METHODS: A database search on PubMed was performed selecting prospective English-language articles published by September 20th, 2022, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Studies selected included bile duct clearance as an outcome. RESULTS: A total of 21 prospective studies (15 using LL, 4 using EHL, and 2 both) including 726 patients were included for analysis. Complete ductal clearance was achieved in 639 (88%) patients with 87 (12%) patients having incomplete ductal clearance. Patients treated with LL had an overall median stone clearance success rate of 91.0% (IQR, 82.7-95.5), whereas EHL achieved a median stone clearance success rate of 75.8% (IQR, 74.0-82.4), [p = .03]. CONCLUSIONS: LL is a highly effective form of POC-guided lithotripsy for the treatment of large bile duct stones, particularly when compared to EHL. However, direct, head-to-head randomized trials are needed to identify the most effective form of lithotripsy for treating refractory choledocholithiasis.

Efficacy and Safety of Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy Using Peroral Cholangioscopy under Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Guidance in Older Adults: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background and objectives: The safety of electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) in older adults remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of EHL using peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) under endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) guidance in older adults aged ≥80 years. Materials and Methods: This retrospective clinical study was conducted at a single center. Fifty patients with common bile duct stones who underwent EHL using POCS under ERCP guidance at our institution, between April 2017 and September 2022, were enrolled in this study. The eligible patients were divided into an elderly group (n = 21, age ≥80 years) and a non-elderly group (n = 29, age ≤79 years), and were analyzed. Results: A total of 33 and 40 EHL procedures were performed in the elderly and non-elderly groups, respectively. After excluding cases in which stone removal was performed at other institutions, complete removal of common bile duct stones was confirmed in 93.8% and 100% of the elderly and non-elderly groups, respectively (p = 0.20). The mean number of ERCPs required for complete removal of bile duct stones was 2.9 and 4.3 in the elderly and non-elderly groups, respectively (p = 0.17). In the EHL session, the overall occurrence of adverse events was eight and seven in the elderly (24.2%) and non-elderly (17.5%) groups, respectively; however, the difference was insignificant (p = 0.48). Conclusions: EHL using POCS under ERCP guidance is effective in patients aged ≥80 years and there was no significant increase in adverse event rates compared to those aged ≤79 years.

Endoscopic treatment of Bouveret syndrome with a combination of electrohydraulic lithotripsy and balloon expansion: A case report.

Bouveret syndrome is a rare type of ileus caused by the impaction of gallstones passing through a cholecystoenteric fistula in the duodenum. Endoscopic treatment with minimally invasive procedures is preferable for patients with this syndrome, typically for elderly individuals with a high surgical risk. Conventional endoscopic techniques often fail to remove impacted stones that are generally large and occasionally solid. We report the case of an 88-year-old bedridden woman with severe dementia who presented with difficulty in breathing. The patient was diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia. In addition, computed tomography showed a cholecystoduodenal fistula and a gallstone 37 mm in diameter that impacted the duodenal bulb. Bouveret syndrome was diagnosed on the basis of the computed tomography findings. The impacted stone was too large and hard to split with standard endoscopic lithotripsy using grasping forceps, mechanical lithotripter, polypectomy snare, basket catheter, and electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL). However, EHL with a dual-channel therapeutic endoscope was achieved to drill a narrow hole approximately 20 mm deep into the stone, in four sessions. The stone was subsequently split by inflating the balloon, which was inserted into the hole, to 10 mm in diameter at 3 atm. All the split stones were spontaneously excreted during defecation after a few days. If the gallstone is too hard to fragment by endoscopic EHL alone, a combination of EHL and balloon expansion might be a useful alternative.

Electrohydraulic lithotripsy through endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography combined with SpyGlass in the treatment of complex pancreatic duct stones: A case report and literature review.

The incidence of pancreatic duct stones (PDS) is less than 1%. After the formation of stones, the lumen of the pancreatic duct is blocked, and the pancreatic juice cannot be discharged smoothly, resulting in the impairment of the internal and external secretions of the pancreas. Several national guidelines now recommend endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as the treatment for PDS. The emergence of SpyGlass makes it possible to visualize the ERCP blind area of the pancreatic system directly. Electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) under SpyGlass can crush large and pressure-resistant stones into smaller fragments, significantly improving the success of the endoscopic treatment of large stones. Here, we report a patient presented with acute alcohol-associated pancreatitis, found to have PDS on imaging, who underwent ERCP combined with SpyGlass (EHL), avoiding surgery, reducing trauma, and being discharged from the hospital with a rapid recovery. Therefore, endoscopic therapy is effective and safe for PDS patients. The combination therapy of this patient is the first use of SpyGlass for PDS in our centre, which marks a new stage in the application of endoscopic therapy for pancreatic diseases.

Cholangioscope-Guided Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy as a Rescue Technique for an Impacted Dormia Basket With Large Common Bile Duct Stone.

Impaction of Dormia basket while extracting common bile duct (CBD) stones during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a well-known but relatively rare complication. Its management could be very challenging and may require percutaneous, endoscopic, or major surgical intervention. In this study, we present a case of a 65-year-old man with a history of obstructive jaundice secondary to a large CBD stone. For stone extraction, mechanical lithotripsy with a Dormia basket was attempted resulting in its entrapment within CBD. Subsequently, the entrapped basket and large stone were retrieved using a novel technique of cholangioscope-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy with excellent clinical outcomes.

[Intraluminal endoscopy for biliary duodenal obstruction]. / Vnutriprosvetnaya endoskopiya pri biliarnoi duodenal'noi neprokhodimosti.

Cholelithiasis complicated by cholecystoduodenal fistula and small bowel biliary obstruction is an absolute indication for surgical treatment. Modern possibilities of intraluminal endoscopy (electrohydraulic lithotripsy) made it possible to avoid intra-abdominal access (laparotomy, laparoscopy) and postoperative complications. Finally, rapid rehabilitation was noted.

EUS-guided jejuno-enterostomy in a patient with total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy to facilitate cholangioscopy with electrohydraulic lithotripsy.

Video 1EUS-guided jejuno-jejunostomy in a 67-year-old male patient with total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy to facilitate cholangioscopy with electrohydraulic lithotripsy.

Impacted gallstone within a cholecystoduodenal fistula: endoscopic laser lithotripsy to the rescue.

Video 1A large, impacted gallstone is treated unsuccessfully with electrohydraulic lithotripsy; however, fragmentation and removal is accomplished using endoscopic laser lithotripsy.

Stone removal by percutaneous papillary balloon dilatation for cystic duct and bile duct stones after cholecystectomy and distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy.

A 71-year-old woman was referred to our department for abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with acute obstructive cholangitis due to cystic duct and bile duct stones after cholecystectomy and Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy. Two years ago, the patient underwent endoscopic and laparoscopic treatment for cystic duct and bile duct stones, however, the stones remained. This time, she was treated with stone removal using percutaneous papillary balloon dilatation (PPBD). Large stones in the common hepatic and bile ducts were crushed by electrohydraulic lithotripsy and then pushed out into the duodenum through the dilated papilla of Vater using a balloon catheter covered with the sheath and cholangioscopy. Stone in the cystic duct was pulled to the common bile duct and pushed to the duodenum. Stone removal using PPBD is an excellent alternative for patients with cystic duct and bile duct stones unable to be treated with endoscopic or laparoscopic stone removal.

A case of pancreatic duct stones treated with electrohydraulic lithotripsy through a duodenal ulcer.

Video 1Crush the large-sized stones directly using an electrohydraulic lithotripsy device.

Per-oral pancreatoscopy-guided lithotripsy vs. extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for treating refractory main pancreatic duct stones in chronic pancreatitis: Protocol for an open-label multi-center randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUNDS/OBJECTIVES: Patients with chronic pancreatitis may develop pancreatic duct stones that can obstruct outflow leading to ductal hypertension and pain. Both endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) with per-oral pancreatoscopy (POP) and intraductal lithotripsy and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) are feasible options to attempt ductal stone clearance. This study aims to compare POP-guided lithotripsy with ESWL in the management of refractory symptomatic main pancreatic duct stones. METHODS: This is an open-label, multi-center, parallel, randomized clinical trial. Patients with chronic pancreatitis and main pancreatic duct stones ≥5 mm who fail standard ERP methods for stone removal will be eligible for this study. In total, 150 subjects will be randomized 1:1 to either ESWL or POP. A maximum of 4 sessions of either ESWL or POP will be allowed in each arm, with crossover permitted thereafter. The primary outcome is complete stone clearance and secondary outcomes include quality of life, pain scores, number of interventions, and daily opiate requirements. CONCLUSIONS: This study aims to answer the question of which lithotripsy method is superior in removing refractory pancreatic duct stones while addressing the effects of lithotripsy on quality of life and pain in patients with chronic calcific pancreatitis (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04115826).

Mirizzi Syndrome Type IV Successfully Treated with Peroral Single-operator Cholangioscopy-guided Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy: A Case Report with Literature Review.

A 76-year-old man presented with liver dysfunction and intrahepatic bile duct dilatation. Imaging studies showed two large stones that had become impacted in the common hepatic duct, which was fused with the gallbladder. The patient was diagnosed with Mirizzi syndrome type IV. Hepaticojejunostomy and stone removal failed due to dense gallbladder adhesions involving the right hepatic artery. The bile flow was temporarily restored; however, the patient experienced cholangitis 16 months later. The stones were extracted via peroral single-operator cholangioscopy (SOC)-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy. This is the first case in which stones were completely removed by SOC-guided treatment in a patient with Mirizzi syndrome type IV.