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URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/presentations/100180.htm

Endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography (ERCP) - series—Procedure, part 2

Procedure, part 2

Overview

If gallstones are present in the common bile duct, the surgeon can perform a sphincterotomy. A small incision is made through the endoscope, which enlarges the opening of the common bile duct into the duodenum. The stones can then pass through.

Review Date 5/3/2023

Updated by: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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