Theurapeutic ERCP

Why is ECRP therapeutic done?

ERCP therapeutic or Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography is a procedure done to diagnose and treat conditions in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas, by combining the use of x- rays and a long flexible lighted tube called endoscope.

How is ECRP therapeutic done?

• The patient is made to lie on his left side and given medication to help numb the back of the throat and a sedative to help him relax. 
• The patient is made to swallow the endoscope which is guided by the physician through the oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum to the spot where the ducts of the biliary tree and pancreas open into the duodenum.
• Next the patient is made to lie flat on his stomach after which the physician passes a small plastic tube through the scope and injects a dye into the ducts. 
• The dye helps to reveal a gallstone or any obstruction narrowing the ducts on the x-rays taken, which can be removed with the help of special instruments that are inserted through the scope.