Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in Hattiesburg, MS

You will be asked to show up at our Digestive Diseases Center in Hattiesburg, MS 1 – 1.5 hours prior to your ERCP assessment. This will allow adequate time to fill out patient forms and prepare for your ERCP. You will then need to put on a medical gown. An intravenous (IV) catheter will be placed in your arm so that sedation can be provided. You will be connected to equipment to allow the doctor and staff to monitor your blood pressure, heart rate, pulse, oxygen, breathing, and electrocardiogram levels throughout the course of and after the procedure.

When you enter the exam room, you will lie on your abdomen on the table. The sedation solution will then be administered. A small dose will be provided at a time to ensure your safety and to provide only the dosage you require individually. In comparison with other endoscopic tests, it is not uncommon for general anesthesia to be used for this exam. Once the appropriate sedation level is reached, the endoscope device will be carefully introduced into the mouth. The endoscope will be gently advanced through the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine to the point in your body where the bile and pancreatic ducts empty into the small bowel. A small amount of air is injected via the endoscope into the gastrointestinal tract to increase visibility. With an ERCP procedure, an iodine-based contrast dye is injected into the bile and pancreatic ducts. An x-ray imaging machine is then used to take images of the biliary and pancreatic ducts to identify whether there are any irregularities or abnormalities. Any residual fluid in the upper GI structures can be suctioned out by way of the scope device. Depending on exam findings, several processes can be conducted during the course of the ERCP, including tissue biopsies, stent placement (metal/plastic tubes) into the bile or pancreatic ducts, sphincterotomy (opening the bile or pancreatic duct), and the removal of gallstones from the bile ducts or stones from the pancreatic ducts. Once the procedure is complete, as much of the air and residual fluid as possible will be extracted by way of the endoscope device. Each ERCP process takes about 30 – 90 minutes to perform based on the findings.

When the evaluation is over, you will be moved to the recovery area to be assessed while the sedative effects of the medication start to subside. Most individuals are alert enough to be dismissed within 45 – 60 minutes, but your experience may vary based on how much sedation was used and your body's reaction to it. You cannot operate any vehicles for the rest of the day, so you will need to arrange for a ride home in advance. You will also be directed not to sign important papers, engage in strenuous activity, or work for the rest of the day. In most situations, individuals can consume foods and beverages as usual following discharge from the endoscopy unit, though certain instructions concerning eating, activity, and medications will be administered before dismissal. On occasion, ERCP patients will need an overnight hospital stay for monitoring.

Following the ERCP procedure, the doctor and/or clinical team will review the findings of the assessment with you. Generally, individuals do not recall what is discussed following the ERCP exam as a result of sedation effects. Our Hattiesburg GI Associates, PLLC staff advises you to have someone accompany you to whom the exam findings can also be explained, if possible. You will also be released with a typed report and can expect to be informed of any biopsy or other test results generally within a week.