Advances in Therapeutic Cholangioscopy

Table 1

Cholangioscopy modalities.

Type		Advantages	Disadvantages	Endoscope diameter	Work channel
Dual-operator	“Mother-baby”	It was the first optical choledoscope developed	Necessary of two experienced endoscopists, low image quality, difficulty in handling, fragility, limited capacity of suction and irrigation, and small diameter of working channel, limiting therapeutic procedures	“Mother”: 12.6 mm; “Baby”: 2.8–3.4 mm	0.8–1.2 mm
	Karl Storz (short-access-mother-baby)	More maneuverability, short size with less fragility, larger work channel	Necessity of two experienced endoscopists, only two-way deflected steering tip	“Mother”: 12.6 mm; “Baby”: 3.4 mm	1.5 mm
Single-operator	Boston Scientific (SpyGlass)	Only one endoscopist, four-direction tip deflection	High cost, work channel diameter	3.3 mm	1.2 mm
	Ultra-slim endoscopes (direct peroral cholangioscopy); (Olympus, Pentax, Fujinon)	Superior video image quality with narrow band imaging capability, larger size of the work channel	High cost, can only be performed in dilated bile ducts, difficulty of insertion into the bile duct, lack of stability	5-6 mm	2.0–2.2 mm