Endoscopic Nasogallbladder Drainage Versus Gallbladder Stenting Before Cholecystecomy

Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the current standard therapy for acute cholecystitis, but temporary decompression of the gallbladder (GB) through percutaneous or endoscopic route can be required to alleviate inflammatory process and reach an appropriate time for elective surgery in patients with high operative risk or marked local inflammation or organ dysfunction. Also preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is often needed because common bile duct (CBD) stone is accompanied in patients with acute cholecystitis at reported rate from 7-20%. Two-steps approach of percutaneous transhepatic GB drainage (PTGBD) followed by ERCP or vice versa has been performed for the treatment of acute cholecystitis with concomitant CBD stone who are not suitable for urgent cholecystectomy. However single-step drainage of CBD and GB through ERCP and endoscopic transpapillary GB drainage (ETGD) using nasocystic tube or plastic stent has alternatively been attempted in patients who have contraindications for PTGBD. In clinical practice, many endoscopists have hesitated to perform ETGD because of its relatively low technical success rate and specific concern about post-ERCP adverse event but it minimizes catheter keeping duration, and provides effective clinical improvement via physiologic route. Currently there are scarce data on if ETGD using nasocystic tube or plastic stent are comparable in terms of clinical efficacy and safety.