Immediate Necrosectomy vs. Step-up Approach for Walled-off Necrosis

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Immediate necrosectomy: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided drainage will be conducted within 72 hours from randomization. A convex-type echoendoscope is advanced to the stomach or duodenum, and the walled-off necrosis (WON) is visualized and punctured under EUS guidance. A lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS), such as Hot AXIOS system (Boston Scientific Japan, Tokyo, Japan), is recommended for the initial EUS-guided drainage. For the immediate necrosectomy group, endoscopic necrosectomy (EN) will be performed in the same session of EUS-guided drainage using a gastroscope. The endoscope is inserted into the WON cavity through the LAMS, and necrotic tissue is removed using biopsy forceps, snare, or basket catheter. The EN procedures will be repeated until clinical improvement.

Step-up approach: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided drainage will be conducted within 72 hours from randomization. A convex-type echoendoscope is advanced to the stomach or duodenum, and the walled-off necrosis (WON) is visualized and punctured under EUS guidance. A lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS), such as Hot AXIOS system (Boston Scientific Japan, Tokyo, Japan), is recommended for the initial EUS-guided drainage. For the step-up approach group, an additional interventional procedure will be withheld for 72-96 hours after initial EUS-guided drainage. In cases without clinical improvement after 72-96 hours, additional drainage will be permitted, which includes increasing the number of stents, additional EUS-guided drainage, and performing percutaneous drainage (step-up treatment). Insufficient improvement even after two times of step-up treatment allows subsequent endoscopic necrosectomy (EN).

Study summary

Walled-off necrosis (WON) is a pancreatic fluid collection, which contains necrotic tissue after four weeks of the onset of acute pancreatitis. Interventions are required to manage patients with infected WON, for which endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided drainage has become a first-line treatment modality. For patients who are refractory to EUS-guided drainage, the step-up treatment including endoscopic necrosectomy (EN) and/or additional drainage is considered to subside the infection. Recent evidence suggests that EN immediately after EUS-guided drainage may shorten treatment duration without increasing adverse events. In this randomized trial, the investigators will compare treatment duration between EN immediately after EUS-guided drainage versus the step-up approach in patients with symptomatic WON.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Time to clinical success from randomization — Six months
  Clinical success is defined as 1) a decrease in the WON size to 3 cm or less and 2) an improvement of more than two out of the three following inflammatory markers; body temperature, white blood cell count, and C-reactive protein.

Trial sites (21)

More Tokyo University trials in Japan

Other trials for the same condition