What is E.RCP?

Answer 1

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a technique that combines the use of endoscopy and fluoroscopy to diagnose and treat certain problems of the biliary or pancreatic ductal systems. It is an x-ray examination of the bile ducts which is aided by a video endoscope. Through the endoscope, the physician can see the inside of the stomach and duodenum, and inject dyes into the ducts in the biliary tree and pancreas so they can be seen on x rays.

ERCP (short for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) is a procedure used to diagnose diseases of the gallbladder, bile system, pancreas, and liver. In addition, ERCP can often be used to treat problems in these parts of the digestive system.

What happens during the procedure?
During the procedure, an endoscopist, usually a gastroenterologist (doctor who specializes in the gastrointestinal system), uses a special endoscope (a long, flexible tube with a light and camera at the end) to examine the inside of the digestive system. The endoscopist identifies the place where the bile duct comes into the intestine and then feeds a tiny catheter (a plastic tube) into the duct and squirts in a contrast agent while X-rays are taken. The contrast agent allows the doctors to see the ducts of the bile system, gallbladder, and pancreas on the X-rays.

Once the source of the problem is identified, the doctor may then treat it by performing one of the following procedures:

Sphincterotomy. This involves making a small incision in the opening of the bile duct, which can help small gallstones and bile to drain appropriately.
Stent placement. A stent is a plastic drainage tube that is placed in the bile duct and allows it to drain.
Gallstone removal
Is the procedure safe?
An ERCP is considered a low-risk procedure. Complications requiring hospitalization may occur; however, they are uncommon. These can include pancreatitis, infections, bowel perforation, and bleeding. Patients may experience tenderness or a lump where the sedative was injected, but that should go away in a few days. Patients undergoing ERCP for treatment, such as for gallstone removal, face a higher risk of complications than patients undergoing diagnostic ERCP. Your doctor will discuss your risks of possible complications before the test.

How should I prepare for the procedure?

Be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant, have a lung or heart condition, or if you are allergic to any medications. Also, tell the doctor if you have an artificial heart valve or if you have ever been told you need to take antibiotics before a dental or surgical procedure. You may need to take antibiotics before the ERCP.
If you have diabetes and use insulin, you may need to adjust the dosage of insulin on the day of the test. Your diabetes care provider will help you with this adjustment. Bring your diabetes medication with you so you can take it after the procedure.
Tell your provider if you are taking blood-thinning medications such as Coumadin, aspirin, Persantine, or Plavix. Your primary care doctor may prescribe an alternate method for thinning your blood before the procedure.
Do not discontinue any medication without first consulting with your primary care or referring doctor.
Do not eat or drink anything for eight hours before the procedure.
You will need to bring a responsible adult to accompany you after the procedure. You should not drive or operate machinery for at least eight hours because the medication given during the procedure may cause drowsiness.

You may need to stay overnight in the hospital after the procedure, so pack personal items you may need.

What happens during the procedure?

Before the procedure, you will be given a hospital gown to wear and you will be asked to remove your eyeglasses and dentures. The doctor performing the procedure will discuss what will happen during the procedure and will explain any risks. If you have any questions, now is the time to discuss them with the doctor.
An endoscopist experienced in ERCP performs the procedure, which lasts from one to two hours. A local anesthetic (pain-relieving medication) may be applied to the back of your throat. You are given a pain reliever and a sedative intravenously (in your vein). You will feel relaxed and drowsy.
A mouthpiece is placed in your mouth. It does not interfere with your breathing.
Initially, you will lie on your left side during the procedure.
The endoscopist inserts an endoscope through your mouth, down past your stomach and into the first part of the small intestine (called the duodenum). The endoscope does not interfere with your breathing.
Contrast material is injected slowly into the pancreatic or biliary ducts while X-rays are taken. The contrast agent enables the ducts to appear on the X-rays.
What happens after the procedure?

You will stay in a recovery room for about 1-2 hours for observation. You may feel a temporary soreness in your throat. Lozenges may help.
A responsible adult must accompany you after the procedure. It is also recommended that a responsible adult stay with you for 24 hours after the procedure.
Do not drive or operate machinery for at least eight hours.
Stay overnight within a 30-minute drive of the hospital so that you can get to the emergency room quickly to be evaluated, if necessary.
The results will be sent to your primary care or referring doctor, who will discuss them with you. If the results of the procedure indicate that prompt medical attention is needed, the necessary arrangements will be made and your referring doctor will be notified.

If you have severe abdominal pain, a continuous cough, fever, chills, chest pain, nausea, or vomiting within 72 hours after the procedure, call your doctor or go to the nearest emergency room.

Answer 2

"ERCP" stands for Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography.

This is a procedure performed by gastroenterologists using a specialized flexible fiberoptic endoscope. The scope is passed down the mouth, through the stomach and into the first, and then the second portion of the duodenum. There, the common channel through which the bile duct and the pancreatic duct enter into the gastrointestinal tract is visualized.

Under direct endoscopic vision, the entry into the duct system is threaded with first a wire, and then one of several possible types of tool, the most important being a tube through which xray dye can be passed.

After injecting xray dye into the bile duct, an xray can be obtained which demonstrates the anatomy of this ductal system along with any material inside it (like gallstones or small tumors). This is called a "cholangiogram". It is termed a "retrograde cholangiogram" because the dye is flowing up the duct into the liver, which is backwards relative to the normal flow of bile which comes down from the liver into the intestine. In other situations, cholangiograms can be obtained "antegrade", going with the flow of bile, either by injecting the liver or the gallbladder.

Additionally, through this same entry point, a tube can be passed into the pancreatic duct, and a pancreatogram can also be performed. The goals of the pancreatogram are similar to the cholangiogram. The ductal anatomy can be observed, and any objects inside the duct can be imaged.

Also with ERCP, gallstones that are in the bile duct can be swept out by passing balloon catheters or "baskets" up the duct, and a procedure called a "sphincterotomy" is often performed which helps open wide the entry of the bile duct into the intestine so that any subsequent stones that may be inside will just fall out.

The two main reasons that people undergo ERCP are when there is a suspicion of gallstones in the bile duct or when there is some sort of question about abnormality within the biliary or pancreatic ductal system which would be confirmed or refuted by xray imaging of these ducts.

... I hope that helps!

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Answer 3

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a technique that combines the use of endoscopy and fluoroscopy to diagnose and treat certain problems of the biliary or pancreatic ductal systems. It is an x-ray examination of the bile ducts which is aided by a video endoscope. Through the endoscope, the physician can see the inside of the stomach and duodenum, and inject dyes into the ducts in the biliary tree and pancreas so they can be seen on x rays.
Please see the webpage for more details on ERCP.

Answer 4

ERCP stands for endoscopic retrograde cholangeo pancreatography. It is for gall stones. The gall bladder sometimes gets filled with stones and these stones can cause obstruction of the ducts (common bile duct). The ducts open into the duodenum next to the pancreatic duct. If a gallstones obstructs this region it will also cause pancreatitis. In ERCP, a dye is injected to visualise the ducts and therefore the stones and in the same procedure a gallstones can also be removed if seen in this region. It would be a good idea to see if there is such an obstruction because pancreatitis is very painful and serious.

Answer 5

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography.A minimaly invasive procedure to visualise the biliary and pancreatic duct system in the human body.This procedure is performed by passing an instrument called duodenoscope through mouth with a little sedation.X-ray pictures are taken after injecting a radio opaque dye in to the biliary andpancreatic ductal tree.

Answer 6

Enhanced respiratory and contact precautions (E-RCP) relating to personal protective systems.

Answer 7

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ercp/index.htm