Quality of life and outcomes in patients undergoing endoscopic papillectomy vs surgical treatment for duodenal papillary adenomas.

Background: Endoscopic papillectomy (EP) via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography has emerged as a less invasive alternative to surgery for duodenal papillary adenomas (DPAs), which is traditionally associated with notable postoperative risks.

Aim: To compare quality of life (QoL) and outcomes between DPA patients undergoing EP vs surgical resection, and to assess the influencing factors of QoL and complications.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, single-center analysis involving patients treated for DPA at the Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from 2011 to 2023. The participants completed post-discharge telephone surveys using the 12-item short form survey to assess mental (MCS) and physical component summary (PCS) scores, with norm-based scoring where ≥ 50 denotes normal. Multivariate regression analysis adjusted for confounding variables was used to compare QoL scores.

Results: Compared with EP patients, surgically treated patients had significantly lower PCS [median: 53.0, interquartile range (IQR): 46.0-55.1 vs 54.2, IQR: 51.7-55.9, P = 0.008] and MCS scores (median: 48.6, IQR: 41.8-56.0 vs 55.9, IQR: 51.7-60.7, P < 0.001). These disparities persisted even after adjustments for demographic and medical factors. Long-term follow-up of the EP group revealed that abdominal pain and poor sleep were factors negatively impacting PCS scores, whereas postoperative pancreatitis and hypertension were associated with lower MCS scores.

Conclusion: EP has emerged as a QoL-preserving alternative for patients with DPA, conditional upon ensuring equivalent efficacy and safety. QoL outcomes should be considered when choosing interventions for this patient population.