EUS guided drainage of gallbladder: own cohort of 66 patients for the period 2016–2022 from the Hospital Jablonec nad Nisou

Introduction: EUS-guided gallbladder drainage is a safe and effective endoscopic treatment modality for inoperable patients with severe acute cholecystitis with impending complications. It is also used as a salvage technique for patients with malignant biliary obstruction in whom conventional treatment with ERCP or EUS-guided biliary drainage has failed. Methods: The aim of this retrospective, consecutive cohort (November 2016 to December 2022) was to evaluate the technical and clinical success rates and peri-procedural, early and late complications of EUS-guided gallbladder drainage using the Hot AXIOS metallic lumen-apposing stent. Results: The cohort includes a total of 66 patients, of which 43 were benign and 23 were malignant. Technical success rate was 98.5%, clinical success rate was 98.5%. There were two periprocedural complications (bleeding and stent malposition), and two early post-procedural complications (peritonitis on day 2 after the drainage and subhepatic abscess on day 4 after the drainage), early complications were 6%. Late complications were only minor. Four times, we have observed partially or completely embedded LAMS. There was no recurrence of cholecystitis during the 12 months follow-ups. The mean duration of stent deployment for the benign indication was 327 days, and 199 days for patients with a malignant diagnosis. Conclusion: The evaluation of our cohort confirmed the high technical and clinical success of EUS-guided gallbladder drainage using Hot AXIOS stents with a low complication rate. Keywords EUS guided gallbladder drainage, cholecystostomy, LAMS