Pancreatic stent improves the success rate of needle-knife papillotomy in patients with difficult biliary cannulation

Table 1 Clinical and endoscopic characteristics of the pancreatic stent- needle-knife papillotomy and Freehand- needle-knife papillotomy groups, n (%)

	Total (n = 190)	PS-NKP group (n = 82)	FH-NKP group (n = 108)	P value
Age, years (range)	66.5 (26-97)	65.17 (28-92)	67.46 (26-97)	0.406
Male	110 (57.9)	52 (63.4)	58 (53.7)	0.179
Indications for ERCP
Choledocholithiasis	115 (60.5)	50 (61.0)	65 (60.2)	0.912
Malignant biliary stricture	60 (31.6)	25 (30.5)	35 (32.4)	0.778
Distal biliary malignancy	49 (25.8)	19 (23.2)	30 (27.8)	0.509
Benign biliary stricture	11 (5.8)	6 (7.3)	5 (4.6)	0.432
Bile leak	7 (3.7)	3 (3.7)	4 (3.7)	0.987
CBD diameter, cm (range)	0.89 (0.3-2.0)	0.86 (0.3-1.9)	0.91 (0.3-2)	0.29
Major papilla status
PAD	44 (23.2)	24 (29.3)	20 (18.5)	0.082
Enlarged/swelling	30 (15.8)	11 (13.4)	19 (17.6)	0.434
Impacted stone	19 (10)	5 (6.1)	14 (13.0)	0.118
Tumor	5 (2.6)	1 (1.2)	4 (3.7)	0.289
Low-set papilla	6 (3.2)	4 (4.9)	2 (1.9)	0.237
Surgically altered anatomy	4 (2.1)	1 (1.2)	3 (2.8)	0.459

PS: Pancreatic stent; NKP: Needle-knife papillotomy; FH: Freehand; ERCP: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; CBD: Common bile duct; PAD: Periampullary diverticulum.