BACKGROUND: We evaluated the safety of outpatient therapeutic ERCP since most complications are apparent within a few hours. METHODS: We reviewed 190 patients undergoing planned outpatient therapeutic ERCP from a cohort of 409 consecutive therapeutic ERCP procedures. Patients were selected for outpatient therapeutic ERCP based on relative good health and overnight accommodation near our institution. RESULTS: Outpatient therapeutic ERCPs included plastic biliary stent insertion (n = 71), biliary sphincterotomy (45), pancreatic stent insertion (28), Wallstent insertion (19), biliary balloon or catheter dilation (10), pancreatic balloon or catheter dilation (8), biliary stone extraction with prior sphincterotomy (7), pancreatic sphincterotomy (5), and duodenal ampullectomy (1). Admission was necessary in 31 (16%) because of complications in 22 (11.6%) and observation of post-ERCP symptoms in 9. Twenty-six (13%) of these patients were admitted directly from the endoscopy unit recovery room and 5 (3%) from home after a median interval of 24 hours following discharge (range 5 to 48 hours). Reasons for admission were pancreatitis in 17, hemorrhage in 3, cholangitis in 3, endoscopic but not clinical hemorrhage in 4, pain in 4, and vomiting in 1. Of the patients who were admitted from home, 3 had pancreatitis (following sphincterotomy in 1, pancreatic stenting in 1, pancreatic balloon dilation in 1) and 2 had hemorrhage (postsphincterotomy in 1 and ampullectomy in 1). In comparison, of the 219 consecutive inpatients undergoing therapeutic ERCP, 28 (13%) developed complications with 1 (0.4%) death. CONCLUSIONS: A policy of selective outpatient therapeutic ERCP, with admission reserved for those with established or suspected complication, appears to be safe and reduces health care costs.
