A comparative study of postendoscopic sphincterotomy complications with various types of electrosurgical current in patients with choledocholithiasis.

Background: Whether the type of electrosurgical current used for endoscopic sphincterotomy influences the frequency of postsphincterotomy complications is unknown.

Methods: One hundred eighty-six patients with choledocholithiasis were prospectively randomized to undergo endoscopic sphincterotomy with pure cutting current (n = 62, Group A), blended current (n = 62, Group B), or pure cutting initially followed by blended current (n = 62, Group C). Serum concentrations of amylase and lipase were evaluated in all patients 12 and 24 hours after sphincterotomy.