Our purpose was to compare fluoroscopy time during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) between endoscopists with different levels of experience.We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 269 consecutive ERCPs at an academic hospital during 1 year.Median fluoroscopy time was significantly longer in more complex cases,such as in therapeutic(406.5 s [IQR,235.5-685]) compared to diagnostic(202 s [IQR,141-481];P = 0.002) procedures.The experience(number of prior ERCPs) of gastroenterology fellows involved in procedures was an independent predictor of shorter fluoroscopy time when controlling for patient and procedure characteristics(P < 0.0001) .Median fluoroscopy time was 2.73 min shorter after at least 50 procedures had been performed(P = 0.039) .Time for ERCPs involving fellows was not significantly longer than cases by attending physicians alone(P = 0.23) .Increased experience is associated with lower radiation exposure during ERCP training.Radiation reduction methods should be prospectively investigated and integrated into training programs.
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