03090--ERCP Procedure Information

ERCP Procedure Information

(ENDOSCOPIC RETROGRADE CHOLANGIOPANCREATOGRAPHY)

You have been scheduled for an ERCP procedure at the Digestive Health Center at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

Your appointment is on:                        at                      .

Arrive at __________ for registration and to prepare for the procedure.

For your comfort, you will receive anesthesia during your procedure.  You will need to have a responsible adult driver to drive you home. The responsible adult/driver must remain at the facility during the entire procedure process. 

If you live more than 30 minutes from a hospital emergency department, you may want to plan to spend the night at a hotel in Charlottesville after discharge from the hospital. We strongly urge you to arrange for someone to be with you the night after discharge so you are not alone.

1. Your time with us may range from 3-6 hours. In order to have seating for all Digestive Health patients, we ask that only one person be in the waiting room with you. Please leave all jewelry and piercings at home.
2. Do not have any solid food or hard candy after midnight the night before your procedure. Your physician’s care coordinator will tell you when to stop drinking clear liquids before you arrive for the procedure.
3. If you are on medicine for diabetes please call your Primary care doctor to have diabetic medicine doses changed for the day of your procedure, because you will not eat on the morning of your appointment.
4. If you are on prescription blood thinners and cardiac medicine, please call the Care Coordinator you have been working with to discuss the plan, if you have not already discussed the plan previously.
5. You may be asked to have additional lab work or other pre-testing as part of the preparation for anesthesia. The need for this is determined by your team and you will be notified if necessary.
6. If you use a machine at home to treat Sleep Apnea bring it with you to this appointment. Sedation or anesthesia during your procedure is like sleeping but much deeper.  Medicines used during sedation and anesthesia can decrease your respiratory drive and relax tissues used to keep your airway open – thus, it is very important to use your CPAP during the procedure to maximize you breathing safely.  This is true even if you rarely use your CPAP.

Thank you for choosing The Digestive Health Center at The University of Virginia.