Description of the procedure:

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During the ERCP test a thin and flexible tube of about 1.3cm in diameter (Duodenoscope) is inserted through the mouth into the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, all the way to the Papilla, which is the organ through which the biliary and pancreatic ducts drain inside the duodenum.

The Duodenoscope has a small camera at its end and an optical fiber inside. During the test, a light is projected through the gastroscope into the digestive system; the video is filmed with the camera and transmitted to a screen in front of the doctor who is viewing it.

Over the course of the ERCP test, various working tools are delivered through the Duodenoscope for different treatment purposes, such as a scalpel to excise the Papilla to enter the bile tract, a balloon to remove gallstones, or a balloon to expand narrowing in the bile tract or pancreas. Occasionally a stent is inserted into the biliary or pancreatic ducts.

During the procedure the patient lies on his stomach with his hands to the sides, and a plastic shield is inserted in between the teeth to maintain the mouth open during the test. The test is performed under sedation, meaning light-mild sedation, so that the patient does not feel the examination at all, and it will begin only after the patient is sedated. As such, throughout the examination the patient is connected to monitoring devices which allow the treating staff to monitor breathing, oxygen saturation, heart rhythm and blood pressure.

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Duration of the procedure:

About 30 to 90 minutes.