Role and value of bile diversion in the treatment of acute pancreatitis

In recent years, the individualized comprehensive treatment mode led by mini-mally invasive techniques in the early stage of acute pancreatitis (AP) has significantly reduced its mortality rate. However, the overall complication rate remains high. This predicament has been prompting us to continuously explore and improve the early diagnosis and treatment strategies for AP. Changes in the functional and morphological aspects of the gallbladder are no longer confined to biliary pancreatitis alone. Cholestasis, gallbladder enlargement, increased tension, and significant alterations in the composition of bile are commonly observed in patients with AP caused by various factors, and these changes are closely related to the prognosis of the patients. Against this backdrop, the authors propose the new concept of bile diversion treatment, that is, percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage guided by ultrasound combined with bile reinfusion. In practice, it has been observed that the application of bile diversion can effectively improve the short‑term efficacy of AP patients with gallbladder enlargement and accelerate their recovery. The authors elaborate on the role and value of bile diversion in the treatment of AP. It is believed that with the continuous in‑depth development of basic research and the continuous optimization of clinical practice pathways and protocols, bile diversion is expected to become an important part of the comprehensive treatment of AP, thus bringing more survival benefits to AP patients.