Risks
The major risk of an ERCP is the development of pancreatitis, which can occur in up to 5% of all procedures. This may be self limited and mild, but may require hospitalization, and rarely, may be life-threatening. Patients at additional risk for pancreatitis are younger patients, patients with previous post-ERCP pancreatitis, females, procedures that involve cannulation or injection of the pancreatic duct, and patients with sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.
Gut perforation is a risk of any endoscopic procedure, and is an additional risk if a sphincterotomy is performed. As the second part of the duodenum is anatomically in a retroperitoneal location (that is, behind the peritoneal structures of the abdomen), perforations due to sphincterotomies are also retroperitoneal. Sphincterotomy is also associated with a risk of bleeding.
Oversedation can result in dangerously low blood pressure, respiratory depression, nausea, and vomiting.
There is also a risk associated with the contrast dye in patients who are allergic to compounds containing iodine.
Other complications (less than 1 per 100) may include; heart and lung problems, bleeding after sphincterotomy, infection in the bile duct (cholangitis) and perforation (a tear in the intestine). In some rare cases, ERCP can even cause fatal complications.
Read more about this topic: Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography
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