An Inha University Hospital research team has released a paper that primary needle-knife fistulotomy reduces the incidence of pancreatitis after endoscopic surgery.

The article was published in the April 2020 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

The research team led by Professor Jeong Seok of the Department of Gastroenterology proved that pancreatitis outbreak could be reduced when a fistula is made via primary needle-knife fistulotomy in the upper part of the bile duct in patients with a high risk of pancreatitis.

It has developed and presented the world’s first innovative endoscopic procedure that can significantly reduce the risk of pancreatitis after the procedure by proving the efficacy and safety of the surgical method through the study, the hospital said in a news release on Thursday.

The first stage of pancreatic and biliary endoscopy is the procedure to access the bile ducts. The traditional way is to insert the endoscope through the entrance of bile ducts, but the entrance with the endoscope can stimulate the pancreatic duct and can lead to pancreatitis.

Also, inserting an endoscope through the entrance carries the risk of complications such as bleeding, trepanation, and infection. Various studies have been conducted internationally, including the development of preventive drugs for multiple routes of insertions. Still, no precise method to prevent complications has been found.

“The results of this study will be a starting point to improve the safety of patients with a high risk of developing pancreatitis after receiving pancreatic and biliary endoscopy procedures and also reduce additional medical costs due to complications,” Professor Jeong said.

The researchers expect the standardization of the medical technique in related fields with the publication of the study in prominent academic journals will spread the excellence of primary needle-knife fistulotomy to the world.

It was a multi-center, randomized controlled comparative clinical study. Aside from Inha, seven university hospitals also took part in the research.