ERCP stands for endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography.

It is a procedure that lets your doctors look at your pancreas and bile duct through a thin, flexible telescopic instrument called an endoscope. It is passed into the mouth and down as far as the stomach and duodenum (the start of the small intestine).

It allows the doctor to:

• look for anything unusual
   

• take X-rays
   

• take samples of tissue (biopsies) to be examined under a microscope.

The ERCP will help your doctor to find out what sort of illness you have.

The procedure has other uses too. It can be used to treat certain conditions – for example, stones in the bile duct can be removed this way. If cancer has blocked the bile duct, the doctor may put a tube in place (a stent) to keep the duct open. ERCP can be used to insert the stent.