The Impact of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography on Islet Cell Yield during Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplantation

Objectives Many patients with recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis who are candidates for total pancreatectomy and islet cell autotransplantation (TPIAT) undergo endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). However, little is known on the impact of ERCP on TPIAT outcomes. We aimed to explore the effect of antecedent ERCP on islet yield and postoperative insulin requirement after TPIAT. Methods Through a prospectively maintained database, we identified patients who underwent TPIAT at our institution between 2009 and 2016. After adjusting for confounders, islet cell yield and postoperative insulin requirement were compared between subjects who did and did not undergo ERCP within 2 years prior to TPIAT. Results Data were available on 167 TPIAT patients during the study period; 105 (62.9%) had undergone ERCP within 2 years prior. Prior ERCP was not associated with a reduction in islet equivalents per patient kilogram (odds ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-2.5; P = 0.31). Antecedent ERCP was not associated with increased postoperative insulin requirement among patients with no diabetes undergoing TPIAT (odds ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-1.83; P = 0.67). Conclusions Antecedent ERCP does not appear to have a deleterious impact on islet cell yield during TPIAT. Additional multicenter data are needed to more clearly determine the impact of ERCP in this context.