Re: Dr talking about dialating if I have new strictures

[Guest guest]

Marisol,

I am having an ERCP on Thursday for this very reason. I have strictures near the

confluence of my common bile duct and the pancreatic duct (I think there is a

fancy term

for this, but I am drawing a blank at the moment) and I also have strictures in

my left and

right hepatic ducts -- I think they might be new.

Anyway, I have had ERCPs in the past where the CBD is dilated (they use a

balloon --

exactly like an angioplasty -- no stents) and brushings are taken to look for

any cellular

changes.

As with everything else with PSC, your recovery is individual. Knock on wood, I

have not

had any problems in the past and hope I don't this time. But I'm packing a

toothbrush,

hoping that my being prepared will mean I get to go home and be fine!

Someone here has a devil of a time with ERCPs and getting acute infections -- is

it Arne?

HTH,

Colleen

-- In , " wwildfire2121 " wrote:

>

> Hi everyone,

>

> ...and if there are new strictures, he says

> that he will dialate them ! OMG ok so is this like a stent ? has

> anyone had this done ? How bad is it and how much time did u take off

> from work ? I am totally in awe about this cause everything that is

> done ends up being very incomfortable or very painful for several days.

> Please let me know.

>

[Guest guest]

Marisol,

I am having an ERCP on Thursday for this very reason. I have strictures near the

confluence of my common bile duct and the pancreatic duct (I think there is a

fancy term

for this, but I am drawing a blank at the moment) and I also have strictures in

my left and

right hepatic ducts -- I think they might be new.

Anyway, I have had ERCPs in the past where the CBD is dilated (they use a

balloon --

exactly like an angioplasty -- no stents) and brushings are taken to look for

any cellular

changes.

As with everything else with PSC, your recovery is individual. Knock on wood, I

have not

had any problems in the past and hope I don't this time. But I'm packing a

toothbrush,

hoping that my being prepared will mean I get to go home and be fine!

Someone here has a devil of a time with ERCPs and getting acute infections -- is

it Arne?

HTH,

Colleen

-- In , " wwildfire2121 " wrote:

>

> Hi everyone,

>

> ...and if there are new strictures, he says

> that he will dialate them ! OMG ok so is this like a stent ? has

> anyone had this done ? How bad is it and how much time did u take off

> from work ? I am totally in awe about this cause everything that is

> done ends up being very incomfortable or very painful for several days.

> Please let me know.

>

[Guest guest]

Marisol,

I am having an ERCP on Thursday for this very reason. I have strictures near the

confluence of my common bile duct and the pancreatic duct (I think there is a

fancy term

for this, but I am drawing a blank at the moment) and I also have strictures in

my left and

right hepatic ducts -- I think they might be new.

Anyway, I have had ERCPs in the past where the CBD is dilated (they use a

balloon --

exactly like an angioplasty -- no stents) and brushings are taken to look for

any cellular

changes.

As with everything else with PSC, your recovery is individual. Knock on wood, I

have not

had any problems in the past and hope I don't this time. But I'm packing a

toothbrush,

hoping that my being prepared will mean I get to go home and be fine!

Someone here has a devil of a time with ERCPs and getting acute infections -- is

it Arne?

HTH,

Colleen

-- In , " wwildfire2121 " wrote:

>

> Hi everyone,

>

> ...and if there are new strictures, he says

> that he will dialate them ! OMG ok so is this like a stent ? has

> anyone had this done ? How bad is it and how much time did u take off

> from work ? I am totally in awe about this cause everything that is

> done ends up being very incomfortable or very painful for several days.

> Please let me know.

>

[Guest guest]

Marisol,

dilate meams to stretch out or make bigger. when you get stent it's like a straw

to hold the duct open. I get extreme itching without having a change in my labs.

There is no consistent correlation between high alk phos or bilirubin and

itching. Some doctors think there is, but they are wrong, wrong, wrong. Take

care, Cheryl in ID PSC/AIH, UC etc.

Dr talking about dialating if I have new strictures

> Hi everyone,

>

> Back from an absoulute horrible itchy weekend, sent an e mail to my

> Dr and he said that my blood work still looks the same more or less, he

> is going to order another MRI, and if there are new strictures, he says

> that he will dialate them ! OMG ok so is this like a stent ? has

> anyone had this done ? How bad is it and how much time did u take off

> from work ? I am totally in awe about this cause everything that is

> done ends up being very incomfortable or very painful for several days.

> Please let me know.

> Thanks,

> Marisol

> (Miami, PSC05)

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Marisol,

dilate meams to stretch out or make bigger. when you get stent it's like a straw

to hold the duct open. I get extreme itching without having a change in my labs.

There is no consistent correlation between high alk phos or bilirubin and

itching. Some doctors think there is, but they are wrong, wrong, wrong. Take

care, Cheryl in ID PSC/AIH, UC etc.

Dr talking about dialating if I have new strictures

> Hi everyone,

>

> Back from an absoulute horrible itchy weekend, sent an e mail to my

> Dr and he said that my blood work still looks the same more or less, he

> is going to order another MRI, and if there are new strictures, he says

> that he will dialate them ! OMG ok so is this like a stent ? has

> anyone had this done ? How bad is it and how much time did u take off

> from work ? I am totally in awe about this cause everything that is

> done ends up being very incomfortable or very painful for several days.

> Please let me know.

> Thanks,

> Marisol

> (Miami, PSC05)

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Marisol,

dilate meams to stretch out or make bigger. when you get stent it's like a straw

to hold the duct open. I get extreme itching without having a change in my labs.

There is no consistent correlation between high alk phos or bilirubin and

itching. Some doctors think there is, but they are wrong, wrong, wrong. Take

care, Cheryl in ID PSC/AIH, UC etc.

Dr talking about dialating if I have new strictures

> Hi everyone,

>

> Back from an absoulute horrible itchy weekend, sent an e mail to my

> Dr and he said that my blood work still looks the same more or less, he

> is going to order another MRI, and if there are new strictures, he says

> that he will dialate them ! OMG ok so is this like a stent ? has

> anyone had this done ? How bad is it and how much time did u take off

> from work ? I am totally in awe about this cause everything that is

> done ends up being very incomfortable or very painful for several days.

> Please let me know.

> Thanks,

> Marisol

> (Miami, PSC05)

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, yes, it depends, and it depends. Sorry, everyone seems to be different.

The endoscopist was not successful in dilating my CBD during my first ERCP. The procedure itself was not painful (certainly uncomfortable), but pancreatitis is a not uncommon post-ERCP risk. Pancreatitis IS painful and can result in an extended hospital stay (4 days, that time). I went back to work after I was released.

My 2nd ERCP was done a year later at Mayo, Rochester, and was completely successful in dilating and stenting my CBD. However, it also resulted in pancreatitis (another 5 days extension). Once more I went back to work after release.

The 3rd one was for stent removal 2 weeks later; I was released that afternoon and returned to work the next day.

Pancreatitis is not really an infection, but an inflammation of the pancreas (they don't know the cause). The good news is I have been asymptomatic since the last ERCP SEVEN YEARS AGO. No elevated LFTs, no pruritis, no jaundice, no cholangitis.

The poll we did some years ago showed about 10% of the respondents experienced pancreatitis. Some people have stents changed every 6 weeks, some have never had a stent, and some have only done it once.

Some trepidation is in order, but it can be therapeutic and resolve symptoms. HTH

Arne

56 - UC 1977, PSC 2000

Alive and well in Minnesota

________________________________

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of wwildfire2121

…and if there are new strictures, he says that he will dilate them ! OMG ok so is this like a stent ? has anyone had this done ? How bad is it and how much time did u take off from work ?..

[Guest guest]

Yes, yes, it depends, and it depends. Sorry, everyone seems to be different.

The endoscopist was not successful in dilating my CBD during my first ERCP. The procedure itself was not painful (certainly uncomfortable), but pancreatitis is a not uncommon post-ERCP risk. Pancreatitis IS painful and can result in an extended hospital stay (4 days, that time). I went back to work after I was released.

My 2nd ERCP was done a year later at Mayo, Rochester, and was completely successful in dilating and stenting my CBD. However, it also resulted in pancreatitis (another 5 days extension). Once more I went back to work after release.

The 3rd one was for stent removal 2 weeks later; I was released that afternoon and returned to work the next day.

Pancreatitis is not really an infection, but an inflammation of the pancreas (they don't know the cause). The good news is I have been asymptomatic since the last ERCP SEVEN YEARS AGO. No elevated LFTs, no pruritis, no jaundice, no cholangitis.

The poll we did some years ago showed about 10% of the respondents experienced pancreatitis. Some people have stents changed every 6 weeks, some have never had a stent, and some have only done it once.

Some trepidation is in order, but it can be therapeutic and resolve symptoms. HTH

Arne

56 - UC 1977, PSC 2000

Alive and well in Minnesota

________________________________

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of wwildfire2121

…and if there are new strictures, he says that he will dilate them ! OMG ok so is this like a stent ? has anyone had this done ? How bad is it and how much time did u take off from work ?..

[Guest guest]

Marisol, I had many ERCP's in the past - maybe 15 - and never developed pancreatitis from the ERCP. I also never had a stent. My hep always chose to balloon the ducts. The last few years he would schedule 2 ERCP's about 2 months apart with the intent of ballooning the ducts and was hoping that the quick succession would keep the ducts stretched a little longer. He didn't like stents because of their propensity to get clogged/infected. After the balloonings I would be fine the next day after sedation had worn off with only a little tenderness in the abdominal region and of course the sore throat. I was given antibiotics prior to and during the scope. ERCP's aren't fun but in my case the balloonings gave me 7 more years with my original liver. Blessings, Barby - KS UC

- 1965, ileostomy - 1972, BCIR (continent pouch) 1994, PSC - 1995, arthritis 2007, tx 11.29.07married 28 years , 5 sons, 2 daughters in law, 1 granddaughter, 1 grandbaby due 10/08 and 1 golden retriever