Risk of Complications After Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Pregnancy: A Propensity-Matched Analysis

Background Studies have suggested higher complication rates after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in pregnancy. Aims We performed a propensity-matched cohort analysis to assess the risk of ERCP-related complications among pregnant women in the United States. Methods The TriNetX database was analyzed to identify pregnant and non-pregnant females between 18 and 50 years of age who underwent ERCP. One-to-one propensity score matching was performed for age and race. Outcomes included risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP), gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, perforation within 7 days, and infections within 30 days of ERCP. Subgroup analysis was performed to assess the risk of PEP based on indication for ERCP. Results The risk of PEP was higher in the pregnant cohort compared to controls, 10.3% vs 6.08%, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20–2.61; p = 0.003. We found no difference in the risk of GI bleeding, perforation, and infections between the two cohorts. There was no difference in the risk of PEP in the pregnant cohort compared to controls who underwent ERCP for acute choledocholithiasis (4.2% vs 2.1%, aOR 1.98, 95% CI 0.97–4.03, p = 0.5) or ascending cholangitis (18.6% vs 14.7%, aOR 1.32, 95% CI 0.52–3.39, p = 0.55). There was no difference in the risk of PEP in the pregnant cohort after sensitivity analysis based on age, race, obesity, and indomethacin use. Conclusion Pregnant females are at an increased risk of PEP but not GI bleeding, perforation, and infections when compared to non-pregnant controls. Clinicians should be cautious when proceeding with ERCP during pregnancy.