Surgical outcomes of ERCP-guided transpapillary gallbladder drainage versus percutaneous cholecystostomy as bridging therapies for acute cholecystitis followed by interval cholecystectomy

Background: Select patients with acute cholecystitis (AC) are not candidates for index cholecystectomy. We compared the influence of ERCP-guided transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ERGD) versus percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) on delayed cholecystectomy outcomes. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing ERGD or PC for AC from January 2007 to October 2018 were included. Primary outcome was the rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy and perioperative complications in groups. Results: The study included 52 patients with ERGD and 140 with PC prior to cholecystectomy (median 68 days [IQR: 47–105.5]). Technical success was higher in the PC group (100% vs 91%; P = 0.0004). There was a nonsignificant trend to lower postoperative complications with ERGD (30.7% vs 43.5%; P = 0.07). No difference in conversion to open cholecystectomy OR: 1.5 (95% CI: 0.68–3.65; P = 0.28) or severity of complications (Clavien-Dindo grade >2) OR: 0.60, (95% CI: 0.19–1.87; P = 0.38) was noted between the ERGD and PC groups. PC was associated with higher rates of unplanned repeat intervention (16.4% vs 7.7%; P = 0.02). Conclusion: ERGD is suitable for patients with AC who is candidates for delayed cholecystectomy and should be considered for gallbladder drainage in patients with concomitant choledocholithiasis or cholangitis who require ERCP.