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Urgent placement or replacement of pancreatic stents shortly after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) might attenuate the course of evolving post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP).Salvage ERCP with de novo pancreatic stent placement or replacement of outwardly migrated stents was performed within 2 - 48 hours in patients with evolving PEP accompanied by severe pain, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and major elevations in serum amylase and lipase. Serial pain scores, amylase and lipase levels, and hospital course were studied.PEP according to Cotton consensus criteria developed after 64 (2 %) of 3216 ERCPs over 3 years. Of the 64 patients with PEP, 14 underwent salvage ERCP (5 without and 9 with prior pancreatic stents, 7 of which had migrated outwards prematurely). All patients had SIRS and a high score (≥ 3) for the bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis. Median clinical onset of PEP was at 5 hours (range 0 - 68 hours) in patients with prophylactic pancreatic stents vs. 2 hours (range 0.5 - 2.5 hours) in patients without prophylactic pancreatic stents (P 0.05). Salvage ERCP was performed at a median of 10 hours (interquartile range [IQR] 2.4 - 22.7 hours). Improvement in pain, amylase, lipase, and resolution of SIRS were statistically significant at 24 hours after salvage ERCP (P = 0.003). Median length of hospital stay was 2 days (IQR 1 - 4.75). No necrotizing pancreatitis or late complications occurred.Urgent salvage ERCP with de novo pancreatic stent placement or replacement of a migrated stent is a novel approach in the setting of early PEP, and was associated with rapid resolution of clinical pancreatitis and reduction in levels of amylase and lipase.

Pancreatic duct stent placement is increasingly performed for the prevention of pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP); however stents can result in injury especially in normal ducts. The clinical significance and outcomes of subsequent endoscopic therapy are unknown. This study was a retrospective review of the management of symptomatic stent-induced pancreatic duct injury following stent placement for prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis in eight patients with previously normal pancreatic ducts. Subsequent treatment included pancreatic sphincterotomy, balloon dilation of stricture, and placement of multiple 3 - 5-Fr soft polymer pancreatic stents. All patients showed improvement or resolution of pancreatic strictures. Five patients had resolution or substantial improvement of pain, one patient showed a fair response with repeated ERCPs, and two patients failed to respond and underwent total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation. Pancreatic duct stent-induced ductal injury with significant clinical consequences can occur with conventional polyethylene stents. Endoscopic therapy is moderately effective but some patients develop irreversible damage. Caution should be used when placing standard polyethylene stents in normal ducts. Further research is required to identify safer materials and configurations of pancreatic stents.