It remained a condition generally treated by surgeons, with exploration of the bile duct and excision of gallstones, until the ascendancy of ERCP in 1968. ERCP is generally performed by internal medicine or gastroenterology specialists. In 1992 it was shown that ERCP was generally safer than surgical intervention in ascending cholangitis.
Until the advent of ERCP in 1968, this condition was typically treated by surgeons, who would examine the bile duct and remove gallstones. However, it was later found that ERCP, performed by internal medicine or gastroenterology specialists, is generally safer than surgical intervention for ascending cholangitis.