Evaluating Predictors and Interventions in Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction

Postcolecystectomy pain is a common clinical problem for the more than 70,000 patients who undergo this procedure annually. Of those 70,000 patients, at least 10% report experiencing pain following the procedure. Patients who have no significant abnormalities on imaging or laboratory testing often undergo endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in hopes of finding stones or other pathology. The current practice of performing ERCP in these patients is not supported by evidence, causing several authors to express concerns about the procedure. Patients who do not benefit from the procedure often undergo more ERCPs and surgical interventions. The EPISOD trial is a parallel, randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled, multicenter Phase III clinical trial of endoscopic sphincterotomy as treatment for adults 18 to 65 years of age diagnosed with SOD III.