title: Outcomes of bile duct drainage by means of ERCP in geriatric patients
abstract: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is usually the procedure of choice for relieving bile duct obstruction. a large number of patients undergoing this intervention are geriatric population (aged 75 years of age and older). Our aim was to assess the efficacy of ERCP in this group of patients as compared to younger ones.
  
  
  
  A retrospective study. All patients in whom a therapeutic biliary endoscopy had been performed over a four-year period of time (2002-2005) were included.
  
  
  
  178 geriatric patients and 159 younger ones underwent ERCP. No differences were found in successful biliary drainage (97.7 vs. 98.7%), complication number (11.8 vs. 14.4%), or mortality rate (1.1 vs. 0.6%). On the other hand, more common bile duct stones were found in geriatric patients (57.3 vs. 39.6%, p = 0.004), and also more self-expanding metal stents were employed to drain malignant obstructive jaundice (47 vs. 8%, p = 0.0035). In the youngest group, more ERCPs were repeated in the same patients (4 vs. 10%, p = 0.001).
  
  
  
  The geriatric population showed similar success and morbidity and mortality rates when compared to younger patients in draining their bile duct by means of ERCP. Common bile duct stones were more frequently found in geriatric patients. No patients needing an ERCP should be excluded only because of their age.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Virgen de la Luz, Cuenca, Spain. j.garcia-cano@terra.es
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Cano
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: González Martín
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Morillas Ariño
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Pérez García
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Redondo Cerezo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jimeno Ayllón
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viñuelas Chicano
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sánchez Manjavacas
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Gómez Ruiz
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pérez Vigara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pérez Sola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001652:Bile Ducts; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000601:surgery*; D004322:Drainage; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome