Influence of specialization on primary success and complication rate in ERCP. Proposal to improve the quality of ERCP

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography [ERCP] is a complex procedure with a flat learning curve. It is associated with the risk of serious complications such as pancreatitis, bleeding, cholangitis and perforation. Endosonography should therefore also be offered for the precise indication of the higher-risk ERCP. Numerous factors influence the success of ERCP. In addition to structured training for the initial acquisition of skills and a minimum number of ERCPs of varying degrees of difficulty, maintaining a good quality of ERCP also requires a regular minimum number of examinations performed per year. There is extensive evidence that shows a significant correlation between ERCP volumes and primary success rates, lower lengths of hospital stay, fewer unwanted readmissions and fewer complications. The cut-offs for differentiating between high-volume and low-volume centers were chosen inconsistently in the studies, with the highest evidence for a cut-off value of 200 ERCPs/year. The question of specialization in ERCP has been given a relevance by the current developments in german hospital reform. Here, a minimum number of ERCPs should be defined for groups of different specialization. However, a minimum number alone will not be able to achieve good treatment quality. In terms of high-quality patient care, it is necessary to offer ERCPs in specialized gastroenterology center, which, in addition to a sufficient number of ERCPs for training and to maintain competence, offer an on-call service and complementary procedures such as EUS and which are embedded in appropriately accessible clinics that have the necessary resources for complication management.