How is an ERCP performed?
For the examination, you will lie on your stomach on the examination table in the X-ray room. Before the procedure, you will be given intravenous sedatives to help you relax and sleep comfortably during the examination. While the patient is under sedation, the anesthesiologist and medical staff will monitor vital signs. The doctor will then insert the endoscope into your mouth and advance it through the esophagus to the stomach and duodenum, until it reaches the ampulla of Vater, the point where the bile and pancreatic ducts empty into the duodenum.
At this time, the doctor will pass a small plastic tube through the endoscope. Through the tube, the doctor will administer a contrast agent to make the bile ducts clearly visible on the X-rays.
Management of stones and strictures of the bile ducts
If the examination diagnoses stones or strictures in the bile ducts, the doctor may insert various tools through the endoscope to remove the stones or treat the obstruction. Additionally, tissue samples (biopsy) may be taken for further examination.
After the procedure
Recovery
The ERCP lasts about 30 minutes to 2 hours on average. You may experience some discomfort due to the air being inflated into the duodenum and the injection of contrast agent into the bile ducts. However, the pain medication and sedative you receive will significantly reduce your discomfort. After the procedure, you will need to stay in the hospital for 1-2 hours until the sedative wears off. The doctor will ensure that you have no signs of complications before you leave. Discharge instructions should be read carefully and followed.
Patients who develop any of these rare side effects should contact their doctor immediately:
- Severe abdominal pain
- Fever
- Bleeding
- Persistent abdominal pain and distention.
How is an ERCP performed?
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or ERCP is a procedure that allows the doctor to diagnose problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas. ERCP combines the use of X-rays and an endoscope, which is a long, flexible tube with a light source and a small camera. Through the endoscope, the doctor can see the inside of the stomach and duodenum and inject contrast agents into the bile duct and pancreas so that they can be imaged with X-rays.
