Management of Complications of Digestive Endoscopic Procedures: A Review

Abstract

Endoscopic procedures are currently a fundamental tool in the diagnosis and treatment of numerous digestive pathologies. They form part of the minimally invasive management of many pathologies, avoiding numerous surgeries. However, as they are invasive procedures, they are not exempt from suffering complications, which must be identified early on in order to be able to carry out the most appropriate treatment. The most frequent complications include bleeding and perforations after upper gastrointestinal endoscopies, colonoscopies and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), but also pancreatitis, hepatic and splenic injuries, among others. In many cases, these complications can be managed endoscopically or with minimally invasive percutaneous therapeutic options, but in other cases emergency surgery is mandatory