Abstract
Endoscopic papillary balloon dilation (EPBD) has not been performed in Western countries due to a concern about the post-procedure pancreatitis. However, it is still widely performed in Japan. The advantages of EPBD are lower risk of hemorrhage and perforation as compared with endoscopic sphincterotmy (EST), and the procedure is also much easier than EST. Several studies have also proven that the sphincter of Oddi function is preserved well even after the treatment. However, its clinical significance has not been elucidated. Recently, the long-term outcomes of EPBD have been reported, and they suggested that the lower incidence of stone recurrence and cholangitis than those of EST.
