Meta-analysis of outcomes of endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage versus percutaneous cholecystostomy for the management of acute cholecystitis.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage is a novel method of treating acute cholecystitis in patients deemed too high risk for surgery. It involves endoscopic stent placement between the gallbladder and the alimentary tract to internally drain the infection and is an alternative to percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC). This meta-analysis assesses the clinical outcomes of high-risk patients undergoing endoscopic drainage with an acute cholecystoenterostomy (ACE) compared with PC in acute cholecystitis.
Methods: A literature search was performed using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. Databases were searched for studies reporting outcomes of patients undergoing ACE or PC. Results were reported as mean differences or pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).
Results: A total of 1593 citations were reviewed; five studies comprising 495 patients were ultimately selected for analysis. There were no differences in technical or clinical success rates between the two groups on pooled meta-analysis. ACE had significantly lower post-procedural pain scores (mean difference - 3.0, 95% CI - 2.3 to - 3.6, p < 0.001, on a 10-point pain scale). There were no statistically significant differences in procedure complications between groups. Re-intervention rates were significantly higher in the PC group (OR 4.3, 95% CI 2.0-9.3, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: ACE is a promising alternative to PC in high-risk patients with acute cholecystitis, with equivalent success rates, improved pain scores and lower re-intervention rates, without the morbidities associated with external drainage.