Complications of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic sphincterotomy: diagnosis, management and prevention.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic sphincterotomy are carried out for a variety of billo-pancreatic diseases. These procedures were earlier performed at only a handful of tertiary centres in India. However, of late, they are being performed at several centres and even smaller clinics. Although, endoscopic sphincterotomy is one of the most commonly performed endoscopic procedure, there are no data on the number of procedures performed each year in India. It is estimated that in the USA alone more than 200,000 procedures are performed each year. The procedure has the dubious distinction of being considered as one of the most hazardous of all endoscopic procedures and is associated with a small but significant morbidity and mortality. The immediate complications of endoscopic sphincterotomy include pancreatitis, haemorrhage, perforation and cholangitis in addition to those associated with the use of sedation and anaesthesia. There are also reports of the long term adverse effects of the destruction of the sphincter of Oddi. There is also controversy as to what should be the minimum requirements for training and who should be allowed to perform these procedures.