Pancreas / Bile Duct: ERCP & stent insertion: Occasionally a tumour in or near the pancreas and bile duct system may cause a blockage that means that bile cannot flow from the liver into the digestive system. Gallstones may also occur, either as a lifetime risk or secondary to somatostatin analogue therapy. Gallstones can also cause obstructed bile flow. Without being able to flow out of the liver, bile can build up within it and cause jaundice (where your skin and the whites of your eyes can turn yellow). Jaundice can make you feel very unwell – may cause infection or sepsis – as well as reduce your body’s ability to absorb food properly. Insertion of a biliary stent can help to alleviate this blockage – and so alleviate jaundice. A biliary stent is usually inserted via endoscopy in a procedure called an ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography). Gallstones can also be treated using this procedure - though gallbladder removal may be required, if stones are recurrent, large or complex. If the stent cannot be inserted using an endoscope you may be asked to consider a PTC (Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiogram) – a procedure carried out through Interventional Radiology. Occasionally a combination of both ERCP and PTC is required to achieve effective bile drainage and flow.
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