Miscellany complications of ERCP

Abstract

As shown in previous chapters, pancreatitis, bleeding, and perforation represent the most common adverse events following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography ERCP. However, there is a very wide range of other ERCP-related complications which occasionally may occur, such as post-procedural infections (cholangitis and cholecystitis), pneumothorax, hepatic hematomas, air embolism, splenic injury, basket/stent impaction, and other very uncommon complications. Although rare, these adverse events may be potentially life-threatening and difficult to be promptly diagnosed since the symptomatic onset is very similar at the beginning. Moreover, there is a large body of evidence showing that the occurrence of unusual complications is not predictable, even by skilled operators, and challenging to be managed.