The Role of Endoscopic Ultrasound–Guided Gallbladder Drainage in Acute Cholecystitis

It's an effective treatment option for high-surgical-risk patients, based on a meta-analysis.

Although the standard treatment for acute cholecystitis is laparoscopic cholecystectomy, some patients are poor candidates for surgery. Traditionally, such patients have been managed by interventional radiology with percutaneous gallbladder drainage (PCGBD), although adverse events and treatment failure are common with this procedure. Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETGBD) and endoscopic ultrasound–guided gallbladder drainage (EUSGBD) are endoscopic options that allow for internal drainage.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis, investigators compared the effectiveness of PCGBD (in 13,351 patients across 46 studies), ETGBD (in 1223 patients across 22 studies), and EUSGBD (in 557 patients across 14 studies) in high-surgical…

Reviewing Author

John R. Saltzman, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardIterative Scopes

Editorial BoardsGastrointestinal Endoscopy; UpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican College of Gastroenterology (Trustee)

OtherVice President of Medical Affairs, 1Globe Health Institute