ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) in New Orleans, LA

Our staff will ask you to enter the endoscopy center in New Orleans, LA 1 – 1.5 hours prior to your exam. This time will be used to complete patient forms and prepare for the evaluation. You will then need to change into a medical gown. Our clinical team will place an intravenous (IV) line in your arm so that sedation can be provided. We will also utilize equipment that will permit the gastroenterologist and staff to monitor your blood pressure, heart rate, pulse, oxygen, breathing, and electrocardiogram levels throughout the ERCP and afterward.

Upon entering the exam room, you will lie down on your abdomen on the table. The sedation will then be started. Small amounts are administered at a time to ensure that you do not have an adverse reaction to the sedative solution and to provide only the amount you require individually. When compared to other variations of endoscopic assessments, it is not uncommon for general anesthesia to be given for this exam. When a sufficient sedation level is established, the endoscope device will be placed into the mouth. The flexible scope will be carefully advanced through the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine to where the pancreatic duct and bile duct empties into the small bowel. A small pocket of air is injected through the scope into the gastrointestinal tract to aid in visibility. During this procedure, contrast is injected into the bile and pancreatic ducts. An x-ray imaging machine is used to capture images of these structures to see if there are any concerns or abnormalities. The remaining liquid in the upper digestive tract can be eliminated through the endoscope. Depending on what the findings reveal, several processes can be done at the time of the assessment, including tissue extraction for a biopsy, 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. At the end of the procedure, as much of the remaining fluid and air as possible will be suctioned out through the endoscope. Each process takes between 30 – 90 minutes to perform based on the findings.

Once the exam has concluded, you will be taken to the post-treatment area to be evaluated while the sedation starts to fade away. The amount of sedation utilized throughout the ERCP exam and how you respond to the medication will dictate how quickly you awaken, though most individuals are awake enough for discharge within 45 – 60 minutes. You cannot drive for the rest of the day; therefore, you will need to have someone drive you home. You will also be directed not to work, sign important papers, or perform strenuous activities for the remainder of the day. In most instances, individuals can resume eating and drinking as normal after being dismissed from the endoscopy unit, however, specific instructions regarding activity, eating, and medications will be discussed before release. On occasion, patients will be admitted for an overnight hospital stay for monitoring.

After the ERCP procedure, the GI specialist and/or clinical staff will go over the conclusions of the procedure with you. Most often, individuals do not recall the information provided after the evaluation because of sedative effects. Our Metropolitan Gastroenterology Associates team recommends you bring someone along to whom the outcomes can also be provided, if possible. You will also be provided with a written report and will be contacted with any biopsy or other test results generally within seven days.