On Hospital in Busan Successfully Performs Innovative Rendezvous Procedure

Recently, On Hospital in Busan has successfully performed the complex Rendezvous procedure, offering new hope to patients suffering from bile duct and cholangiocarcinoma. Bile duct cancer, in particular, is a challenging disease affecting approximately 8,000 people annually in Korea, often found in older individuals. Its early symptoms are subtle, making early detection difficult, and it predominantly affects those aged 70 and above.

Treating Bile Duct Diseases: The Necessity of the Rendezvous Procedure

Bile duct diseases are typically treated with Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). However, when the bile duct opening is completely blocked due to cancer or severe inflammation, even an endoscope guide wire cannot pass through, leading to procedure failure. In such cases, patients may face the risky option of open surgery.

At On Hospital in Busan, a collaborative team from the Department of Gastroenterology and Radiology successfully performed the Rendezvous procedure on a high-risk 60-year-old patient with bile duct stricture. This procedure utilizes both a percutaneous (from the skin) and an oral (from the mouth) approach simultaneously to open the blocked passage.

The Process of the Rendezvous Procedure

The Rendezvous procedure involved precise coordination between two teams. First, Dr. Choi Ki-bok, Director of Radiology, inserted a guide wire through the patient's right flank skin into the bile duct within the liver using Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage (PTBD). This guide wire was then passed through the blocked bile duct into the duodenum. Subsequently, Dr. Hwang Jong-ho from Gastroenterology inserted an endoscope via the duodenum (ERCP) to grasp the end of the guide wire, establishing a bidirectional pathway.

Once the access route was open, the medical team accurately collected tissue samples from the suspected cancerous area and placed a biliary stent to ensure proper bile flow. The Rendezvous procedure offers the significant advantage of treating patients non-invasively, avoiding open surgery.

On Hospital's Medical Services: Hope for Local Patients

The Rendezvous procedure is a highly complex technique typically performed at major hospitals in Seoul. Therefore, its successful completion by a local comprehensive secondary general hospital, solely through its multidisciplinary collaboration system, is a rare achievement. Since establishing its Pancreas and Biliary Center in 2021, On Hospital has surpassed 3,000 cumulative ERCP cases, accumulating clinical experience comparable to university hospitals.

Directors Choi Ki-bok and Hwang Jong-ho stated, "It is deeply meaningful to have opened a safe treatment path for patients with intractable bile duct strictures, where conventional endoscopic access was impossible. We are committed to ensuring that local patients can receive the highest level of medical care without needing to travel to the Seoul metropolitan area."