Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided hepaticogastrostomy

Abstract

To date, percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) has been considered as the usual biliary access after failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Since endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided bile duct puncture was first described in 1996, sporadic case reports of EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) have suggested it as an alternative to PTBD after failed ERCP. The potential benefits of EUS-BD include internal drainage, thus avoiding long-term external drainage in cases where external PTBD drainage catheters cannot be internalized. EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HG) is one form of EUS-BD. This article describes the indications, techniques, and outcomes of published data on EUS-HG.