Acute pancreatitis has an annual incidence of 13-45 cases per 100,000 persons and is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders requiring hospitalization worldwide. It leads to over a quarter of a million hospital admissions annually in the United States, and inpatient costs exceeding 2.5 billion US dollars. Pancreatic necrosis occurs as a consequence of severe acute pancreatitis in approximately 20% of patients. It can mature into a contained necrotic collection, typically four weeks into the disease course. With intense conservative management, including nutritional and intensive care support when required, the collection may resolve without intervention. However, a persistent collection with pain, gastric outlet, intestinal or biliary obstruction, new-onset or persisting organ failure, persistent unwellness or infection is associated with a mortality of 15-20%, and requires necrosectomy and drainage. Without intervention, infected necrosis ultimately leads to death in nearly every patient.~Recently, there has been a shift away from surgical debridement (necrosectomy) towards minimally-invasive endoscopic methods in the treatment of necrotizing pancreatitis. Endoscopic management involves creation of a fistula between the enteric wall and necrotic collection under the guidance of endoscopic ultrasound [EUS] with subsequent placement of a stent to allow drainage of the necrotic material. Endoscopic transenteral drainage of necrotic collection is associated with favorable outcomes, with treatment success rates reported in the range of 45-70%. Endoscopic necrosectomy, with the additional technique of extraction of necrotic material under direct endoscopic visualization has increased rates of treatment success to greater than 80%.~However, there are currently scant data on the optimal timing of endoscopic necrosectomy. In a retrospective study, performing endoscopic necrosectomy at the time of the initial EUS-guided drainage of the necrotic collection was associated with a significantly lower number of necrosectomy sessions compared to performing endoscopic necrosectomy one week after drainage.~The aim of this randomized trial is to compare clinical outcomes between patients undergoing immediate endoscopic necrosectomy (direct endoscopic necrosectomy) compared to step-up endoscopic interventions in patients undergoing endoscopic therapy for infected necrotizing pancreatitis.
This trial is to compare clinical outcomes between patients undergoing immediate endoscopic necrosectomy compared to step-up endoscopic interventions in patients undergoing endoscopic therapy for infected necrotizing pancreatitis.