Revised approach to gallbladder and sphincter disorders

More accurate diagnosis is shifting surgical practice for abdominal pain and pancreatitis.

  • New criteria for dysfunctional gallbladder disorder (DGBD) focus on typical biliary pain and symptom persistence.
  • Sphincter of Oddi disorder (SOD) now requires objective evidence of obstruction or pancreatitis.

Surgeons should be cautious, as these disorders are often over-diagnosed, leading to unnecessary risky treatments.

  • Ongoing need for better predictors of treatment response, particularly for biliary and pancreatic SOD.

Review by Elmunzer BJ, Winslow E (…) Corazziari E et 4 al. in Gastroenterology

Copyright © 2026 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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