ERCP - Failed

[Anon888]

Anyone had a failed ERCP? The specialist did not manage to put in the stent and will try again later this week.

The whole experience is like Mr Bean but that's another story.

Summary

- relative presented with high bilirubin

- had 3/4 blood tests and still high (in a period of 3 weeks)

- ERCP scheduled - failed

- ERCP pending

The consultant did notice narrowing of the bile duct and during the failed ERCP had tissue to be analysed.

There is talk about doing the procedure for the stent externally.

Is this "percutaneous bilary drainage" ?

The patient in question is unlikely to question the specialist. We're trying best to understand to guide.

Thank you.

[BritishLiverTrust11 Moderator]

Hello

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British Liver Trust

[KevinMBG]

Hello, I had that unpleasant experience. After gallbladder removal I started scratching all over my body and they tried to put a stent, but couldn’t. Afterwards the MRI discovered they clipped my bile duct and a vein. So the result was 4 hours surgery of the liver, full open. Hope it doesn’t get anywhere near in your case. All fine now

[Contra21 in reply to KevinMBG]

Oh my. I had mine removed also. Do the clips stay there forever? Or do they fall off as the wound heals?

[KevinMBG in reply to Contra21]

I guess these were supposed to be permanent, inside the liver, where the gallbladder was. They probably removed them during the big surgery (the first one was laparo)…

[Anon888 in reply to KevinMBG]

Thanks for your reply.Luckily 🙏 I'm not the patient.

Patient is now waiting for another ERCP and to see if they can fit the stent if not it'll be surgery.

Never had liver issues in the past and to be frank the consultants don't seem to know why the bile is backing up.

Hope you're doing well.

[PeterP54]

Yes I had a couple of "failed" ERCPs. Mine were quite a long time ago (1990s). My first failure was my first ERCP. I woke up part way through to hear the surgeon saying "that looks like the pancreatic duct" and I could hear the machinery humming in the background. It was rescheduled for a different surgeon and hospital. On another occasion a few days after a sphinterotomy I was getting feedback from the consultant. He was reading the post op notes to me and read "performed small...". He said sorry you will have to have another one as I asked for a large one. Then on a third occasion I got an infection that had to be treated with intravenous anti biotics over a week in hospital. Had to cancel the family holiday to USA. Yes the procedure can fail but I hope that techniques have improved, that the sedation is more reliable and the risk of infection is reduced.

[Anon888 in reply to PeterP54]

Fingers crossed. Thanks for sharing

[Pie-eater]

Yeah, they failed to enter the bile duct first attempt, causing swelling. They tried again a few days later after the swelling had gone down. That one was successful for a while but I’ve had a few more since then, currently stent free and hopeful it’s permanently cured.

[Anon888 in reply to Pie-eater]

Thank you.Waited around to speak to specialist and nowhere closer to obtaining the answers we asked for.

Is it us? It appears slightly slapstick.

[Pie-eater in reply to Anon888]

I think there was different opinions between two wards as to whether keep trying with the stents or to open me up again and sort it out surgically. Hope your relative gets it sorted.

[Anon888 in reply to Pie-eater]

Update..will try again ERCP if that fails it'll be key hole. What happens to the stent? Is it removed afterwards? Thank you

[Pie-eater in reply to Anon888]

The first stent disappeared (down the toilet?). The next one was taken out as it had moved. A longer one was put in but it blocked a side duct so 2 more were put in through the middle of it to anchor it in place. Everything was removed last week and touch wood, everything seems ok so far.

[Anon888 in reply to Pie-eater]

Glad you are ok. It's the unknown isn't it? Here's hoping that ERCP will go well and no need for surgery. At the moment it's still guesswork what's causing the bile to back up.

Thank you for taking the time to reply - as well as not thinking it was a bogus post!

[Anon888 in reply to Pie-eater]

Thanks