P-P09 Salvage transgastric necrosectomy as a part of a step-up approach to managing acute necrotising pancreatitis

Background The use of EUS (endoscopic ultrasound) guided drainage with endoscopic LAMS (lumen apposing metal stent) necrosectomy is an emerging treatment option for walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN) secondary to acute severe pancreatitis. It can delay or remove the need for surgical necrosectomy, which can be associated with high morbidity and mortality. However, the endoscopic approach is not always successful due to a multitude of factors and salvage transgastric necrosectomy can be performed using the tract created by the LAMS to achieve internal drainage and remove necrotic pancreas. Methods We describe our unit’s experience in managing WOPN in two patients. We suggest a treatment pathway of WOPN which includes a step-up approach including salvage transgastric necrosectomy in patients where multiple endoscopic necrosectomies and washouts have failed. Results Two patients, aged 67 and 69, were admitted as intensive care transfers for gallstone and alcohol pancreatitis respectively. They underwent a step-up approach to treat their infected WOPN, starting with the deployment of LAMS and endoscopic necrosectomy. They both showed brief clinical improvement after repeated endoscopic necrosectomy but further imaging showed ongoing large collections that could not be treated endoscopically. Both patients underwent successful transgastric open necrosectomy where necrotic pancreatic tissue was accessed surgically through the already created cyst-gastrostomy. This had the advantage of internal drainage of the collection into the stomach without the need for external surgical drains. Conclusions The emphasis in the treatment of WOPN has shifted to minimally invasive percutaneous or endoscopic drainage modalities. Endoscopically inserted LAMS may not always achieve definitive drainage of the WOPN but should be employed in the first instance as they are associated with reduced morbidity and mortality compared to surgery. Ultimately, open necrosectomy with washout remains the definitive management strategy in the step-up approach. We believe that the trans-gastric open necrosectomy approach can be used successfully in patients where the minimally invasive approach has failed.

P-EUS03 Risk prediction in patients undergoing Endoscopic Necrosectomy for infected pancreatic necrosis

Background Laparotomy for the treatment of patients with infected pancreatic necrosis is associated with high rates of morbidity (∼95%) and mortality (∼50%); this has driven the development of minimally invasive alternatives for the treatment of such cases. Endoscopic Transgastric Necrosectomy (ETN) is an accepted method for debriding infected necrosis in these challenging cases. The National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) and P-POSSUM scoring systems are well-validated risk stratification tools used nationally for patients undergoing emergency laparotomy. This work aims to determine whether patients undergoing ETN for infected pancreatic necrosis can be risk stratified accurately using both the NELA and P-POSSUM scoring systems. Methods A prospective database of all patients in a single UK centre undergoing ETN from 2011 to 2021 for infected pancreatic necrosis has been maintained. All patients initially underwent an EUS guided stent placement to create a cystgastrostomy before subsequent transgastric necrosectomy. Patient demographics, timing of procedures and short-term post procedural outcomes were recorded. The NELA and P-POSSUM score was calculated at the time of the endoscopic cystgastrostomy. Demographic data were descriptively summarized and ROC analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of both the P-POSSUM and NELA score. Data are presented as median (range) Results Sixty-nine patients underwent ETN between 2011 and 2021 with a median age of 54 years-(15-86). Twenty-nine patients-(42%) required ITU admission during their admission. The actual mortality was 10.1%-(7), which was slightly higher than the median of the NELA predicted mortality-(6.7%) but half the median of the P-POSSUM predicted mortality-(21.1%). Median overall predicted mortality for ETN using P-POSSUM was 21.1%-(2.6-85.7%) and with NELA was 6.7%-(0.4-34.3%). The median P-POSSUM score of the patients who died was 33.2%-(6.9-52.4%) compared to the median NELA score which was 17.2%-(0.8-34.3%). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve-(AUROC) was similar for both the NELA-(0.82, SE = 0.13) and P-POSSUM-(0.75,-SE=0.1). Conclusions Endoscopic Transgastric Necrosectomy is a safe alternative to emergency laparotomy for the debridement of infected pancreatic necrosis. Both the NELA and P-POSSUM scoring systems can effectively stratify those patients at highest risk, however where P-POSSUM scoring may overestimate mortality NELA scoring may underestimate the severity of illness and mortality associated with the disease.

Novel Resection System for Direct Endoscopic Necrosectomy of Walled-Off Pancreas Necrosis: Have We Conquered the Final Frontier?

Surgical necrosectomy has been the traditional management for pancreatic necrosis and is done using blunt dissection. However, lack of dedicated endoscopic accessories has been a major limitation in direct endoscopic necrosectomy (DEN). Standard endoscopic accessories cannot effectively remove large necrotic material. Also, diameter of instrument channel of the endoscope limits the ability to use large-diameter graspers that can remove large chunks of necrotic material. In this news, we discuss a recent study that has evaluated a new powered endoscopic debridement system for DEN.

Direct Endoscopic Necrosectomy: Timing and Technique

Walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN) is one of the local complications of acute pancreatitis (AP). Several interventional techniques have been developed over the last few years. The purpose of this narrative review is to explore such methodologies, with specific focus on endoscopic drainage and direct endoscopic necrosectomy (DEN), through evaluation of their indications and timing for intervention. Findings indicated how, after the introduction of lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS), DEN is becoming the favorite technique to treat WOPN, especially when large solid debris or infection are present. Additionally, DEN is associated with a lower adverse events rate and hospital stay, and with improved clinical outcome.