Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in Kansas City, MO

Our team will ask you to arrive at the endoscopy center in Kansas City, MO 1 – 1.5 hours prior to your procedure. This will provide you with time to complete patient forms and get ready for the evaluation. You will be asked to change into a medical gown. Our team will place an intravenous (IV) catheter in your arm in order for sedation to be administered. Special equipment will also be used to allow the doctor and our team to monitor your pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing oxygen, and electrocardiogram levels throughout and after the test.

Once in the exam room, you will be asked to lie on your abdomen on the table. The sedation solution will then be given. A small amount will be administered at a time to help make certain that you do not have a reaction to the sedative and to provide only the dosage you need on an individual basis. In comparison with other variations of endoscopic tests, it is not uncommon for general anesthesia to be given for this procedure. After the appropriate level of sedation is established, the endoscope will be gently introduced into the mouth. The scope will be carefully advanced through the esophagus and into the stomach, and small intestine to the area where the pancreatic duct and bile duct open into the small bowel. A small portion of air is administered through the endoscope into the digestive tract to enhance visibility. With an ERCP, contrast dye is placed into the bile duct and the pancreatic duct. A radiographic (x-ray) imaging machine is utilized to take clear pictures of ducts to determine if there are any concerns or irregularities. Residual liquid in the upper GI structures can be eliminated through the scope. Based on the findings of the procedure, a few processes can be conducted at the time of the assessment, including tissue extraction for a biopsy, sphincterotomy (opening the bile duct or pancreatic duct), removal of gallstones from the bile ducts or stones from the pancreatic ducts, or placement of stents (plastic/metal tubes) into the bile duct or pancreatic duct. At the end of the procedure, as much of the air and residual fluid as possible will be withdrawn through the endoscope device. The procedure takes approximately 30 – 90 minutes to perform based on the results.

When the procedure is finished, you will be moved to the post-treatment room to be evaluated while the sedation starts to subside. The amount of sedation provided throughout the ERCP test and how you respond to it will impact how soon you wake up, although most individuals are alert enough for release within 45 – 60 minutes. You will not be able to drive any vehicles for the remainder of the day and will, therefore, need to have someone drive you home. You will also be instructed not to work, sign important papers, or perform strenuous activities for the rest of the day. In most cases, people can consume foods and beverages normally after being released from the endoscopy unit, though certain instructions surrounding medications, activity, and eating will be provided before release. Occasionally, patients might be required to stay in the hospital overnight for monitoring or evaluation.

Once the ERCP is complete, your GI provider and/or clinical staff will explain the results of the test to you. Many individuals will not recall what they are told following the ERCP evaluation because of sedation effects. Our Digestive Health Specialists team strongly suggests you to have someone accompany you with whom the ERCP outcomes can also be discussed, if possible. You will also go home with a typed report and will be advised of any biopsy or other test results usually within seven days.