Cystic duct recanalization with a screw tip stent retriever aids plastic stent delivery in endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage

There are three nonsurgical gallbladder drainage methods available to treat patients with acute cholecystitis: percutaneous cholecystostomy, endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ET-GBD), and endoscopic ultrasonography-guided drainage. ET-GBD is preferred in cases complicated by cholangitis/choledocholithiasis [1]. However, ET-GBD is technically challenging owing to the need to find the orifice of the cystic duct and to insert devices through a cystic duct that is long, narrow, tortuous, and inflamed by stone impaction [1]. This article presents a case in which the Soehendra stent retriever facilitated delivery of a plastic stent during ET-GBD.