Conventional endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography vs the Olympus V-scope system

Table 1 Patient characteristics and indications for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography

	ERCP with V-scope/V-system	ConventionalERCP
Examinations (n)	25	24
Age, median (range), yr	57 (33–83)	57 (19–96)
Sex (male/female)	8/17	8/16
Hepaticolithiasis	4	5
Biliary strictures (benign/malignant)	7 (4/3)	5 (4/1)
Chronic pancreatitis	12	12
Pancreatic tumour	2	2

ERCP: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography.

Table 2 Objective and subjective score results from comparison of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography using the V-scope with conventional endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography

	ERCP with V-scope/V-system	Conventional ERCP	P value
Objective results
Total interventions (n)	50	47
Bougienage bile ducts	7	6
Bougienage pancreas	2	8
Endoprosthesis insertion	24	16
Extraction of biliary concrements	10	9
Extraction of pancreatic concrements	3	3
Bile duct biopsy	1	0
Nasobiliary catheter	1	2
Partial guidewire dislocation	1	3
Loss of guidewire	1	0
Examination time (min), median (range)	29 (5–50)	31 (7–90)	0.28
X-ray time (min), median (range)	5.87 (0.6–14.15)	6.12 (1.67–18.85)	0.48
X-ray dose (cGy/m2), median (range)	1351 (159–5039.2)	1296 (202.3–6421)	0.34
Premedication dose (mg), median (range)
Midazolam	7 (0–11.5)	6.75 (0–11.5)	0.33
Pethidine	100 (0–200)	100 (0–200)	0.48
Propofol	0 (0–720)	0 (0–490)	0.42
Diazepam	0 (0–10)	0 (0–15)	0.33
Adverse events (n patients, % of each group)
Abdominal pain > 24 h without inflammation	1 (4)	3 (12.5)	0.59
Cholangitis1	3 (12)	4 (16.7)	0.77
Post-ERCP pancreatitis2	1 (4)	3 (12.5)	0.59
Perforation	0	0
Subjective score results
Endoscopy assistants (n = 4), median (range)
Overall performance of ERCP	3 (1–8)	2 (1–7)	0.51
Hygienic aspects of ERCP	3 (1–6)	3 (1–7)	0.33
Endoscopists (n = 2), median (range)
Overall performance of ERCP	3 (1–8)	3 (1–7)	0.47
Position to papilla	3 (1–7)	4 (1–7)	0.29
Difficulty of ERCP, median (range)	2 (1–2)	2 (1–3)	0.49

¹Cholangitis was diagnosed by post-procedural elevation of inflammatory markers in conjunction with an intermittent increase in cholestatic enzymes and/or bilirubin, or subfebrile/febrile temperatures after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP). Cholangitis was mild, and cases resolved within a median of 8 d (range, 2–10 d);

²Post-ERCP pancreatitis was diagnosed by elevation of lipase (more than twofold of the upper normal value) and the presence of abdominal pain after ERCP. These patients had mild pancreatitis, and cases resolved after a median of 4 d (range, 2–7 d).