title: A comparative study of one minute versus five seconds endoscopic biliary balloon dilation after small sphincterotomy in choleducolithiasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Limited sphincterotomy and endoscopic papillary balloon dilation (EPBD) is a low-risk method for the treatment of choleducolithiasis. Traditionally one minute ballooning time (BT) is applied; however, the effective BT is not clear. In this study, we compare five seconds and one minute ballooning time.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this single-blind, randomized, clinical trial 60 patients with common bile duct (CBD) stones documented in ultrasonography or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), with no severe hepatic, biliary or systemic diseases, enrolled in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to receive EPBD with either five seconds (n = 31) or one minute (n = 29) ballooning time (BT) after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and small sphincterotomy. Then stones were retrieved with an extractor balloon. The patients were followed for 48 hours to check the possible complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Successful CBD stone removal was the same in the five-second and one-minute BT groups (93.5% vs. 96.6%; P = 0.594). Pancreatitis occurred in three (9.7%) patients in the five-second BT group and in six (20.7%) patients in the one-minute BT group (P = 0.233). No hemorrhage or perforation was noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After a small sphincterotomy, EPBD in the five-second and one-minute BT groups had a similar efficacy. Small sphincterotomy combined with very short BT is a safe and effective method for CBD stone removal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shavakhi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minakari
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hadi Shafigh
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ardestani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Atefeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sadeghizadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shavakhi
keywords: Ballooning Time; choleducolithiasis; endoscopic papillary balloon dilation; small sphincterotomy