Surgical procedure for unexpected balloon burst complication during endoscopic balloon dilatation in a patient with common bile duct stones

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD) is the established treatment for common bile duct (CBD) stones. Although pancreatitis and bleeding have been reported as major complications of EBD, balloon-related complications are rarely reported in EBD. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old woman with suspected CBD stones underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and EBD. During EBD, the balloon of the EBD catheter suddenly burst at the biliary sphincter. We therefore performed surgical intervention: removal of the broken EBD catheter and T-tube drainage. Finally, the patient was discharged without any complications. CONCLUSIONS: We present a case involving a burst balloon of an EBD catheter as a rare complication during EBD, as well as the surgical technique that was used to treat this complication.