Outcome of a session of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy before endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for problematic and large common bile duct stones

Table 3 Extraction methods and success rates after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

Extraction method	Success rate
	ESWL + ERCP (n = 124)	ERCP only (n = 107)	P value
Balloon or Dormia basket	96/99	65/71	0.251
Mechanical lithotripsy	23/25	27/36	0.041a
Stone size
1.5-3.0 cm	102/104	90/93	0.473
≥ 3.0 cm	12/15	4/10	0.016b
Total	119/124 (96.0%)	92/107 (86.0%)	0.029c

The use of mechanical lithotripsy differed significantly different between the two groups (

^aP < 0.05). The rate of successful clearance of stones sized 1.5-3.0 cm was similar in the two groups, whereas the clearance rate in patients with stones ≥ 3.0 cm and total stone clearance were both greater in the ESWL + ERCP group (

^bP < 0.05,

^cP < 0.05). ESWL: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy; ERCP: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.