Rise In First-Time ERCP For Benign Indications >1 Year After Cholecystectomy Is Associated With Worse Outcomes.

Background & Aims Greater availability of less invasive biliary imaging to rule out choledocholithiasis should reduce the need for diagnostic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients who have a remote history of cholecystectomy. The primary aims were to determine the incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of individuals who undergo first-time ERCP > 1 year after cholecystectomy (late-ERCP). Methods Data from a commercial insurance claim database (Optum Clinformatics) identified 583,712 adults who underwent cholecystectomy, 4,274 of whom underwent late-ERCP, defined as first-time ERCP for nonmalignant indications > 1 year after cholecystectomy. Outcomes were exposure and temporal trends in late-ERCP, biliary imaging utilization, and post-ERCP outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine patient characteristics associated with undergoing late ERCP. Results Despite a temporal increase in the use of non-invasive biliary imaging (35.9% in 2004 to 65.6% in 2021, p<0.001), the rate of late-ERCP increased eight-fold: 0.5 to 4.2/1,000 person-years from 2005 to 2021, p<0.001). While only 44% of patients who underwent late-ERCP had gallstone removal, there were high rates of post-ERCP pancreatitis (7.1%), hospitalization (13.1%), and new chronic opioid use (9.7%). Factors associated with late-ERCP included concomitant disorder of gut-brain interaction (OR 6.48, 95%CI:5.88-6.91) and metabolic dysfunction steatotic liver disease (OR 3.27 95%CI:2.79-3.55) along with use of anxiolytic (OR 3.45 95%CI:3.19-3.58), anti-spasmodic (OR 1.60 95%CI:1.53-1.72), and chronic opioids (OR 6.24 95%CI:5.79-6.52). Conclusion The rate of late-ERCP post-cholecystectomy is increasing significantly, particularly in patients with comorbidities associated with disorder of gut-brain interaction and mimickers of choledocholithiasis. Late-ERCPs are associated with disproportionately higher rates of adverse events, including initiation of chronic opioid use.