Prolonged Retention of a Spontaneously Dislodging Pancreatic Duct Stent in a Patient with Surgically Altered Anatomy: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Spontaneously dislodging pancreatic duct stents are generally expected to pass within several days. We report a rare case of markedly prolonged retention of such a stent in a patient with surgically altered anatomy.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 78-year-old man with a history of distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction underwent single-balloon enteroscopy-assisted ERCP for choledocholithiasis. After successful biliary cannulation using pancreatic guidewire assistance, stone extraction was performed following a small sphincterotomy and papillary balloon dilation. A 5-Fr × 5-cm spontaneously dislodging pancreatic duct stent without an internal flange was prophylactically placed. The postoperative course was uneventful; however, spontaneous stent dislodgement was not observed on follow-up imaging. Because of the technical burden of repeat endoscopy in surgically altered anatomy, careful observation was initially selected. The stent remained in place for 104 days and was ultimately removed endoscopically using a single-balloon enteroscope without adverse events.

CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that markedly prolonged retention of a spontaneously dislodging pancreatic duct stent may occur in patients with surgically altered anatomy. Careful follow-up, including imaging to confirm spontaneous stent passage, is important, and endoscopic removal should be considered when the stent remains in place, even if repeat endoscopy is technically challenging.