Randomized Trial of ERCP Then Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy vs. Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Plus Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration in Patients With Likely Choledocholithiasis (ERCP/CBDE)

September 2, 2009 updated by: University of California, San Francisco

Prospective Randomized Trial of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Plus Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration (LC + LCBDE) Versus Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Sphincterotomy Plus Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (ERCP/S + LC) for Common Bile Duct Stone Disease

Objective: We compared outcome parameters for good-risk patients with classic signs, symptoms, laboratory and abdominal imaging features of cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis randomized to either LC + LCBDE or ERCP/S + LC.

Design: Our study was a prospective trial conducted following written informed consent with randomization by the serially-numbered opaque envelope technique.

Setting: Our institution is an academic teaching hospital and the central receiving and trauma center for the City and County of San Francisco.

Patients: We randomized 122 patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists Grade I or II) meeting entry criteria. Ten of these patients, excluded from outcome analysis, were protocol violators having signed out of the hospital against medical advice before one of both procedures were completed.

Interventions: Treatment was pre-operative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography sphincterotomy (ERCP/S) followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), or laparoscopic cholecystectomy plus laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LC + LCBDE).

Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was efficacy of stone clearance from the common bile duct. Secondary endpoints were length of hospital stay, cost of index hospitalization, professional fees, hospital charges, morbidity and mortality, and patient acceptance and quality of life scores.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Detailed Description

Objective: We compared outcome parameters for good-risk patients with classic signs, symptoms, laboratory and abdominal imaging features of cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis randomized to either LC + LCBDE or ERCP/S + LC.

Design: Our study was a prospective trial conducted following written informed consent with randomization by the serially-numbered opaque envelope technique.

Setting: Our institution is an academic teaching hospital and the central receiving and trauma center for the City and County of San Francisco.

Patients: We randomized 122 patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists Grade I or II) meeting entry criteria. Ten of these patients, excluded from outcome analysis, were protocol violators having signed out of the hospital against medical advice before one of both procedures were completed.

Interventions: Treatment was pre-operative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography sphincterotomy (ERCP/S) followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), or laparoscopic cholecystectomy plus laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LC + LCBDE).

Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was efficacy of stone clearance from the common bile duct. Secondary endpoints were length of hospital stay, cost of index hospitalization, professional fees, hospital charges, morbidity and mortality, and patient acceptance and quality of life scores.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

122

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • California
      • San Francisco, California, United States, 94110
        • San Francisco General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age > 18 years
  • Classic biliary-type pain
  • Ultrasonographic demonstration of cholecystolithiasis
  • Platelet count > 100,000 per mm³ and prothrombin time < 3 seconds of control
  • American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) risk grade I or II:

    1. Common bile duct diameter greater than 6 mm by ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scan
    2. Intrahepatic duct dilation as determined by ultrasound or CT scan Serum bilirubin greater than 2mg/dl, alkaline phosphatase and/or lipase more than 1.5 times upper limit of normal within 48 hours of intended first pro

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of bleeding disorders, platelet count <100,000 per mm³ and/or prothrombin time >3 seconds over control
  • Uremia as evidenced by a creatinine > 3 mg/dl and/or blood urea nitrogen > 50 mg/dl
  • Ultrasonography or CT evidence of cirrhosis, intrahepatic gallbladder, liver mass or abscess, or periampullary neoplasm
  • Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
  • Multiple prior laparotomies
  • Morbid obesity
  • Clinical, radiologic and/or biochemical evidence of cirrhosis or portal vein thrombosis
  • Pregnancy

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: ERCP
All ERCP's were performed by one of the authors (JPC), a fulltime faculty member and gastroenterology fellowship instructor in the presence and concurrence of the principal author/ surgeon (SJR). Patients randomized to ERCP/S + LC were scheduled to undergo the endoscopic procedure using fluoroscopy (OEC Diasonics 9400) in the endoscopy suite under moderate sedation (principally intravenous midazolam and meperidine) prior to the intended laparoscopy. Duodenal atony during ERCP was routinely achieved using intravenout glucagon. The laparoscopic cholecystectomy was subsequently performed as soon as technically feasible (i.e. following abdominal gas decompression) following the ERCP
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Patients randomized to ERCP/S + LC were scheduled to undergo the endoscopic procedure using fluoroscopy (OEC Diasonics 9400) in the endoscopy suite under moderate sedation (principally intravenous midazolam and meperidine) prior to the intended laparoscopy. Duodenal atony during ERCP was routinely achieved using intravenout glucagon. If choledocholithiasis was detected or suspected at the time of ERCP, a sphincterotomy was undertaken so that gallstones could be extracted using a balloon catheter or retrieval basket. Small bowel gas was aspirated endoscopically as much as possible at the conclusion of the ERCP. The laparoscopic cholecystectomy was subsequently performed as soon as technically feasible (i.e. following abdominal gas decompression) following the ERCP
Other Names:
  • ERCP/ laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Active Comparator: Lap CBDE
LC + LCBDE was performed in a routine fashion by one fulltime faculty member (SJR) with fellowship training in laparoscopy. Cholangiograms were obtained fluoroscopically using the same make and model fluoroscope (OEC Diasonics 9400) as used in ERCP by antegrade contrast flushing through the cystic duct. All fluoroscopy was performed by the principal author (SJR) in the presence of and concurrence with the ERCP endoscopist (JPC). When stones were detected or suspected by cholangiography, transcystic exploration was undertaken by balloon or basket with associated balloon dilation of the sphincter of Oddi A completion cholangiogram was obtained to confirm that all stones were removed. Once the LCBDE was completed, the cystic duct was ligated and the gallbladder removed.
LC + LCBDE was performed in a routine fashion by one fulltime faculty member (SJR) with fellowship training in laparoscopy. Cholangiograms were obtained fluoroscopically using the same make and model fluoroscope (OEC Diasonics 9400) as used in ERCP by antegrade contrast flushing through the cystic duct. All fluoroscopy was performed by the principal author (SJR) in the presence of and concurrence with the ERCP endoscopist (JPC). When stones were detected or suspected by cholangiography, transcystic exploration was undertaken by balloon or basket with associated balloon dilation of the sphincter of Oddi A completion cholangiogram was obtained to confirm that all stones were removed. Once the LCBDE was completed, the cystic duct was ligated and the gallbladder removed.
Other Names:
  • Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
The primary endpoint was the efficacy of common bile duct stone clearance.
Time Frame: Hospital admmission
Hospital admmission

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Secondary endpoints were length of hospital stay, total cost of index hospitalization, professional fee charges, hospital charges, morbidity and mortality, and patient acceptance and quality of life scores.
Time Frame: Hospitalization
Hospitalization

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

January 1, 1997

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2003

Study Completion (Actual)

November 1, 2007

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 10, 2008

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 11, 2008

First Posted (Estimate)

December 12, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

September 3, 2009

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 2, 2009

Last Verified

September 1, 2009

More Information

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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