{
  "abstract": "Introduction Biodegradable pancreatic stents have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional plastic stents in the prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis. Their effectiveness has not been extensively addressed. Here, we compare the incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis in patients with biodegradable pancreatic stents versus conventional plastic pancreatic stents.Methods This was a multi-centre, retrospective UK study recruiting adult patients who required biodegradable or plastic pancreatic stents during ERCP over a maximum period from January 2020 to September 2025.Results 355 patients were included. 177 in the plastic stent (PS) group and 178 in the biodegradable stent (BS) group. Post-ERCP pancreatitis was recorded in 6.2%(n=11) in the PS group and in 7.3%(n=13) in the BS group (p=0.68). The unadjusted absolute risk difference of post-ERCP pancreatitis between the two groups was 1.1% (95% CI −4.1% to +6.3%). The need for repeat endoscopy to remove the pancreatic stent was higher in the PS group (p<0.001). Female gender was more prevalent in the plastic stent group (66.7%), compared to the biodegradable stent group (56.7%), p=0.05. Other potential confounders were similar between the two groups. Adjusting for female gender, no significant association was found between the use of plastic and biodegradable pancreatic stents and the incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis (RD 1%, 95% CI: −4.8 to +6.6%).Conclusions This is the largest study comparing biodegradable and plastic pancreatic stents in the prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis. The adjusted risk difference between the biodegradable and plastic pancreatic stent groups was 1%, suggesting that a clinically meaningful increase in post-ERCP pancreatitis is unlikely, even in a larger sample size. Future larger multi-centre, randomised controlled trials are needed to address this topic, considering that biodegradable stents may offer greater financial and environmental sustainability.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Vasileios Galanakis"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Maria Moreno Sanchez"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Translational Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals FT, Oxford, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Ioannis Braimakis"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "King’s College Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Muhammad Tayyub"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Translational Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals FT, Oxford, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Murad Bayati"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "King’s College Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Deepak Joshi"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Translational Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals FT, Oxford, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Noor Bekkali"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Gareth Corbett"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P22 Biodegradable versus plastic pancreatic stents for preventing post-ERCP pancreatitis: a multicentre retrospective study",
  "uid": "95c7ce81-234f-5b29-afc1-baaede5d29d3"
}