The Reference Review Now Recommends the Surgical Route
McDermott and colleagues’ 2024 review is the current authoritative synthesis on gallstone pancreatitis, and it treats surgical duct clearance as a first-class option: compared with preoperative or postoperative ERCP, laparoscopic common bile duct exploration is “associated with decreased hospital length of stay, with no difference in efficacy, morbidity, or mortality.” The review likewise reinforces early definitive surgery — same-admission cholecystectomy reduced mortality and gallstone-related readmissions (RR 0.28) in randomized data, while delays beyond 48 hours raised adverse events and costs. The gap it documents is that fewer than half of eligible patients receive index-admission surgery.
Citation
McDermott J, Kao LS, Keeley JA, et al. Management of gallstone pancreatitis: a review. JAMA Surg. 2024;159(7):818-825. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2023.8111
