Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) outperformed percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in patients with severe acute cholangitis due to common bile duct stones. ERCP achieved definitive stone clearance in 92.1% of cases and enabled shorter hospital stays, with faster ambulation and reduced patient discomfort. Although both methods effectively lowered inflammation and pain, PTBD patients experienced significantly higher discomfort from drainage. The overall complication rates were comparable, underscoring ERCP as the superior single-stage treatment.
Journal Article by Yang Y, Wang Y (…) Zhu L et 2 al. in Updates Surg
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