ERCP in a district general hospital in England:a review of 1550 procedures over nine years

Objectives: To describe the practice of ERCP in a district general hospital.Design: Descriptive study with prospective data collection from all patients undergoing ERCP between 1997 and 2006.Endpoints: The main outcomes were technical success (cannulation rates and therapeutic success rates) and safety (complication rate).Results: Technical success rates were high: cannulation of common bile duct was achieved in 95% of all 1550 ERCPs, increasing to 98% during 2001-2006; high success rates were also achieved for sphincterotomy, pre-cut incision, stent insertion and stone removal. The complication rate was low: acute pancreatitis occurred in 3%, perforation in 0.3% and haemorrhage in 0.4%, with a decrease in complications over time; procedure-related mortality was 0.2%. During the study period, the success rates for cannulation and therapeutic procedures increased, while complications decreased.Conclusions: ERCP in a district general hospital was associated with a high degree of technical success and a low risk of complications.