Background Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) is considered to be an effective salvage procedure for failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of EUS-BD. at seven tertiary-care referral centers in Japan were included. The primary outcome was the technical success rate, and the secondary outcomes were the incidence of complications, stent dysfunction rate, time to stent dysfunction, and overall survival. Results The technical success rate for both EUS-CDS and EUS-HGS was 95%. The reasons for technical failure were two failed dilations of the anastomosis in EUS-CDS and one puncture failure in EUS-HGS. The stent dysfunction rate and 3-month dysfunction-free patency rate were 21% and 80% for EUS-CDS and 32% and 51% for EUS-HGS. There were 12 (six in EUS-CDS and six in EUS-HGS) procedurerelated complications (19%): five cases of bile leakage (3/2), three stent misplacements (1/2), one pneumoperitoneum (1/0), two cases of bleeding (1/1), one perforation (1/0), and one biloma (0/1). Bile leakage was more frequently observed in patients who underwent plastic stent placement (11%) than in those with covered metal stents (4%). Conclusions This Japanese multicenter study revealed a high success rate in EUS-BD. However, the complication rate was as high as that in previous series. Covered metal stents may be useful to reduce bile leakage in EUS-BD.

Delayed bleeding rate associated with gastric ESD is significantly higher in the patients receiving antithrombotic therapy. No significant difference in delayed bleeding rate was observed among patients with and without cessation of antithrombotic therapy. To prevent thrombosis, gastric ESD without cessation may be feasible.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has a

During therapeutic ERC using wire-guided cannulation, converting to a double-guidewire technique neither facilitated selective bile duct cannulation nor decreased PEP incidence compared with repeated use of a single-wire technique.

This cytological grading system used in ROSE by endosonographers is invaluable for the diagnosis of pancreatic solid masses.