Guest guest Posted April 13, 2008 Report Share Posted April 13, 2008 thank you - would my pill cam i swallowed show that? i'll talk to gi tomorrow please but i think i'll avoid ercp :-) eileen 3 months scd > > Eileen > > I've had both. Different procedures, and different scanners. They both look at the same organs (bile ducts) though. > > The ERCP is invasive, the doctor goes in through the mouth, like an EGD or endoscopy. After looking visually at the duodenum and bile ducts, red dye is injected and scans (like X-rays I think) are taken to identify bile duct blockages. The patient is lying on their stomach during the procedure, on the scanner itself not on a gurney or table, and is given waking-sleep anesthetic so they can respond to commands to move or turn over etc. The doctor performing the ERCP can make incisions in the bile ducts or duodenum, extract gallstones, insert stents and probably some other things, during the ERCP. The ERCP normally lasts about 30 to 45 minutes, plus pre-op and post-op, then you also stay in the hospital for 24 hours for monitoring. There are more risks of complications from an ERCP than an MRCP. > > The MRCP is a form of MRI, so it's non-invasive even though you're being bombarded with magnetic frequencies. The scans are focused on the bile ducts and organs in the upper GI. My MRCP lasted a long time because the technicians had difficulties. But normally it lasts about 45 minutes, and you don't have any prep. before or recovery afterwards. You can have MRCP with or without contrast, depending on what the doctors are looking for. > > Kim M. > SCD 5 years > > > >>>>>>>>>>>> > what is the difference between ercp and mrcp??? thanks > eileen > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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