ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography)

The procedure involves examination of bile ducts and pancreatic duct. The procedure allows removing stones in bile duct without a surgery. Benign or malign narrowing in the bile duct can be treated by means of enlargement with a balloon or stent (tube) insertion.

Considerations before ERCP;

• • Patients with high blood pressure, pulmonary and cardiac diseases should be evaluated by the physician in charge in respect to the applicability of ERCP. The use of certain types of medication such as Kumadin should be stopped before the procedure. Patients who have gone a heart valve replacement may need to be administered antibiotics before the procedure.

• • You should not eat or drink anything after 12:00 before the procedure, yet you can have blood pressure or heart medication with a small amount of water. Patients with diabetes should bring along their medication or insulin of morning dose in order to have these with breakfast after ERCP.

• • The patient should arrive at the gastroenterology outpatient clinic with an empty stomach and prescribed medication at 09:00 for the procedure. The procedure lasts approximately 45 minutes. As intravenous sedation is applied during the procedure, patients mostly cannot remember the procedure.

ERCP reports can be received from the outpatient secretariat as of 15:00 in the following day.