Effect of endoscopic sphincterotomy and endoscopic papillary balloon dilation endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies on the sphincter of Oddi

BACKGROUND Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), with its clinical ad-vantages of less trauma and faster recovery, has become the primary treatment for choledocholithiasis. AIM To investigate the effects of different ERCP procedures on the sphincter of Oddi. METHODS The clinical data of 91 patients who underwent ERCP at Yixing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between February 2018 and February 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST, n = 24) and endoscopic papillary balloon dilation (EPBD, n = 67) groups. The duration of operation, pancreatic development, pancreatic sphincterotomy, intubation difficulties, stone recurrence, and incidence of reflux cholangitis and cholecystitis were statistically analyzed in patients with a history of choledocholithiasis, pancreatitis, and Oddi sphincter dysfunction in the EST and EPBD groups. RESULTS Differences in hypertension, diabetes, increased bilirubin, small diameter of the common bile duct, or ampullary diverticulum between the two groups were not significant. Statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups concerning sex and age (< 60 years). Patients with a history of choledocholithiasis, pancreatitis, and Oddi sphincter dysfunction were higher in the EST group than in the EPBD group. The number of cases of pancreatic development, pancreatic duct sphincterotomy, and difficult intubation were higher in the EST group than in the EPBD group. The number of Oddi’s sphincter manometries, ERCP surgical outcomes, and guidewires entering the pancreatic duct several times in EST group were lower than those in the EPBD group. The numbers of stone recurrences, reflux cholangitis, and cholecystitis were higher in the EST group than in the EPBD group. CONCLUSION In summary, common bile duct stones, pancreatitis history, and multiple guided wire introductions into the pancreatic duct are independent risk factors for EST and EPBD. Based on this evidence, this study can provide actionable insights for clinicians and researchers.