A panel from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has determined that endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is evolving into a therapeutic rather than diagnostic tool that will eventually be replaced by noninvasive imaging modalities, such as MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). ERCP requires conscious sedation, and combines x-ray with an endoscope in order to diagnose and treat problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas.
As ERCP becomes more of a therapeutic procedure, studies are needed to determine its safety and effectiveness when compared to other surgical and nonsurgical interventions, said panel chair Dr. Sidney Cohen. Cohen is the director of research programs in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
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