title: [A single institution's experience of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography in the eldery patients: outcomes, safety and complications].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As the population ages, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP) is being used increasingly as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool for elderly patients with pancreatobiliary disease. The aim of this study was to assess the outcomes, safety and complications associated with ERCP performed in the elderly patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the medical record of 596 patients who were 50 years of age or older and underwent ERCP from January 2005 to September 2010. The patients were classified into two groups according to the age: non-elderly, 50-74 years old and elderly, ≥75 years old. Comparisons were made between two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hundred and ninety-six patients (132 elderly and 464 non-elderly patients) were enrolled. The success rate of ERCP was 89.4% in the elderly and 91.9% in the non-elderly. The major complications were occurred in 11 patients of the elderly and 16 of the non-elderly, and the complication rate was significantly higher in the elderly compared to the non-elderly (8.3% vs. 3.4%, p=0.011). Pancreatitis occurred in 2 elderly patients and 10 non-elderly patients (1.5% vs. 2.1%, p=1.0). There was a higher rate of bleeding in the elderly patients (4.5% vs. 1.3%, p=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ERCP is effective and safe even in elderly patients. Outcomes of diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP in the elderly patients were similar to those in non-elderly patients. Elderly patients undergoing ERCP carried similar risk of pancreatitis but a higher risk of bleeding and perforation compared to non-elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Dae Hyeon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Geon Tae
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ji Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Chang Wook
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Gil Jong
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Sung Rok
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang Goon
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Shim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology