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Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Holmium Laser Lithotripsy Versus Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy for the Treatment of Difficult Choledocholithiasis and Pancreatic Duct Stones

Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Holmium Laser Lithotripsy Versus Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy for the Treatment of Difficult Choledocholithiasis and Pancreatic Duct Stones: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07418112
Enrollment
40
Registered
2026-02-18
Start date
2026-01-15
Completion date
2027-12-01
Last updated
2026-02-18

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Choledocholithiasis, Pancreatic Duct Stone

Keywords

Laser lithotripsy, choledocholithiasis, pancreaticolithiasis

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a low-power holmium laser works to treat large and/or difficult bile duct or pancreatic duct stones in adults. It will also learn about the safety of the low-wattage holmium laser. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is the low-power holmium laser effective at treating large and/or difficult bile duct or pancreatic duct stones? Is the low-power holmium laser effective safe to use in adults? How does the low-power holmium laser compare to electrohydraulic lithotripsy for the management of large and/or difficult bile duct or pancreatic duct stones. Participants will: Undergo ERCP procedure and their bile duct or pancreatic duct stone will either be broken up with the low-power holmium laser lithotripsy device or the electrohydraulic lithotripsy lithotripsy device. Answer a call 30 days after the procedure to document symptoms and/or any side effects.

Detailed description

This study aims to assess two main questions. 1: Whether low-wattage holmium:YAG laser lithotripsy (using the Quanta System Litho EVO device) is safe and effective in the management large and/or difficult bile duct or pancreatic duct stones. 2: Whether low-wattage holmium:YAG laser lithotripsy is non-inferior to electrohydraulic lithotripsy in the management of large and/or difficult gallstones. Part one of the study will investigate whether utilizing the low-wattage holmium:YAG laser lithotripsy device via single-operator cholangioscopy (SOC-LL) is safe and effective to treat large and/or difficult choledocholithiasis or pancreaticolithiasis. Part two of the study will be a non-inferiority study to determine if SOC-LL is non-inferior for stone clearance, among other secondary outcomes, compared to electrohydraulic lithotripsy via single-operator cholangioscopy (SOC-EHL). Patients who meet the inclusion criteria will undergo ERCP procedures and will either undergo SOC-LL or SOC-EHL to treat their large and/or difficult choledocholithiasis or pancreaticolithiasis. Stone clearance and other procedural or safety measures will be assessed after the procedure. The patient will be monitored after the procedure for adverse events and the administration of medications or admission to the hospital will be determined by the proceduralist. Roughly 30 days after the procedure the patient will be called to assess for any adverse effects as well as to determine symptom resolution.

Interventions

DEVICELaser lithotripsy with low-wattage holmium laser

Use of low-wattage holmium laser for lithotripsy of large and/or difficult bile duct stones or pancreatic duct stones during ERCP.

Use of electrohydraulic lithotripsy for management of large and/or difficult bile duct or pancreatic duct stones.

Sponsors

Rush University Medical Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Intervention model description

EHL vs. Laser lithotripsy for choledocholithiasis or pancreaticolithiasis. Single-blind RCT.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
19 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age 19-85 years * Signed written informed consent. * Presence of one or more biliary (common bile duct or intrahepatic) or pancreatic duct stones that are deemed "difficult" based on at least one of the following criteria: * Stone diameter ≥ 15 mm in any single dimension as measured on prior cross-sectional imaging (CT, MRCP, or EUS). * Presence of an impacted stone that cannot be dislodged with a standard balloon or basket. * Stone located proximal to a benign biliary or pancreatic duct stricture. * Documented failure of stone extraction during a prior ERCP attempt using standard techniques (e.g., sphincterotomy with balloon/basket extraction).

Exclusion criteria

* Pregnancy: Repeated ERCP would be delayed until after delivery if possible * Clinically significant, uncorrectable coagulopathy (defined as INR \> 1.5 or platelet count \< 50,000/μL). * Surgically altered upper gastrointestinal anatomy that precludes conventional ERCP access (e.g., Roux-en-Y gastric bypass), unless an alternative access route (e.g., laparoscopy-assisted or EUS-directed) is planned as the standard of care. * Known or highly suspected malignant biliary or pancreatic stricture associated with the stone. * Acute pancreatitis at the time of screening, unless it is gallstone pancreatitis with persistent biliary obstruction, for which ERCP is therapeutically indicated. * Severe cardiopulmonary disease or other comorbidities that, in the judgment of the investigator, would make the patient an unsuitable candidate for a prolonged endoscopic procedure under general anesthesia. * Known life expectancy of less than 6 months. * Inability or unwillingness to comply with study procedures or follow-up requirements.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Complete stone clearanceImmediately after the procedureComplete stone clearance is defined as the lithotripsy and clearance of ductal stone fragments as confirmed on cholangiogram or pancreaticogram at the end of the index/first procedure of the study.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Overall complete stone clearance rateImmediately after the final procedureThis describes the rate of complete stone clearance at the end of the final procedure required to completely clear stones, regardless of the number of procedures required to do so.
Number of proceduresImmediately after the final procedureDescribes the number of ERCP procedures required to achieve complete stone clearance.
Total procedure timeImmediately after the final procedureTotal duration of index ERCP procedure. Will also document total procedural time for all necessary ERCPs to achieve stone clearance.
Total lithotripsy timeImmediately after the final procedureDuration of the activation time for either the laser lithotripsy or the electrohydraulic lithotripsy devices during the study duration.
Rate of rescue mechanical lithotripsyImmediately after the final procedureDescribes the percentage/rate of time that the patient requires rescue mechanical lithotripsy after failure of the primary modality (SOC-LL or SOC-EHL).
Length of post-procedure hospital stayImmediately after the final procedureDescribes the amount of time in days the patient spent in the hospital after any and all required procedures to achieve complete stone clearance.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTNeal A Mehta, MD
neal_a_mehta@rush.edu3129428651
CONTACTAmanda Lin, DSc, CCRC
Amanda_F_Lin@rush.edu
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORNeal A Mehta, MD

Rush University Medical Center, Department of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, Center for Interventional and Therapeutic Endoscopy

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 19, 2026