Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage for acute cholecystitis: Should the endoscopic option become the status quo?

Acute cholecystitis is a common surgical condition characterised by inflammation of the gallbladder wall, commonly secondary to cystic duct or infundibulum obstruction. The disease can be complicated by infection secondary to translocation of bacteria from the bile duct resulting in significant patient morbidity and potential mortality. The gold standard of treatment is cholecystectomy, however endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) has emerged over the past two decades as a minimally invasive technique for gallbladder decompression in patients deemed to be high surgical risk candidates, with reduced surgical interventions, adverse events and unplanned hospital admissions compared to percutaneous gallbladder drainage. The aim of this review is to outline the procedural components of EUS-GBD, the clinical and technical outcomes, complications and future directions.