Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in India: Get it

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) enables the physician to diagnose problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas. The liver is a large organ that, among other things, makes liquid called bile that helps with digestion. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that stores bile until it is needed for digestion. The bile ducts are tubes that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine. These ducts are sometimes called the biliary tree. The pancreas is a large gland that produces chemicals that help with digestion and hormones such as insulin.

ERCP is used primarily to diagnose and treat conditions of the bile ducts, including gallstones, inflammatory strictures (scars), leaks (from trauma and surgery), and cancer. ERCP combines the use of x rays and an endoscope, which is a long, flexible, lighted tube. Through the endoscope, the physician can see the inside of the stomach and duodenum, and inject dyes into the ducts in the biliary tree and pancreas so they can be seen on X rays.

For the procedure, you will lie on your left side on an examining table in an x-ray room. You will be given medication to help numb the back of your throat and a sedative to help you relax during the exam. You will swallow the endoscope, and the physician will then guide the scope through your esophagus, stomach, and duodenum until it reaches the spot where the ducts of the biliary tree and pancreas open into the duodenum. At this time, you will be turned to lie flat on your stomach, and the physician will pass a small plastic tube through the scope. Through the tube, the physician will inject a dye into the ducts to make them show up clearly on x rays. X rays are taken as soon as the dye is injected.

If the exam shows a gallstone or narrowing of the ducts, the physician can insert instruments into the scope to remove or relieve the obstruction. Also, tissue samples (biopsy) can be taken for further testing.

Possible complications of ERCP include pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), infection, bleeding, and perforation of the duodenum. Except for pancreatitis, such problems are uncommon. You may have tenderness or a lump where the sedative was injected, but that should go away in a few days.

ERCP takes 30 minutes to 2 hours. You may have some discomfort when the physician blows air into the duodenum and injects the dye into the ducts. However, the pain medicine and sedative should keep you from feeling too much discomfort. After the procedure, you will need to stay at the hospital for 1 to 2 hours until the sedative wears off. The physician will make sure you do not have signs of complications before you leave. If any kind of treatment is done during ERCP, such as removing a gallstone, you may need to stay in the hospital overnight.

Preparation

Your stomach and duodenum must be empty for the procedure to be accurate and safe. You will not be able to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the procedure, or for 6 to 8 hours beforehand, depending on the time of your procedure. Also, the physician will need to know whether you have any allergies, especially to iodine, which is in the dye. You must also arrange for someone to take you home—you will not be allowed to drive because of the sedatives. The physician may give you other special instructions.

 

 

Why in India?

 

India is marking new levels in medical technology; Indian medical experts had combined the latest innovations in medical electronics with the international quality of medical healthcare facilities. These centers have the distinction of providing Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography spanning from basic facilities in preventive back-care to the most sophisticated curative technology. The technology is contemporary and world class and the volumes handled match global benchmarks. They also specialize in offering surgery to high-risk patients with the introduction of innovative techniques like minimally invasive and robotic surgery.

Renowned hospitals of cholangiopancreatography in Indian are equipped to handle all phases of problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas, from the elementary to the latest clinical procedures. Their success rate at an average of 98.50% is at par with leading centers around the world. The cost of Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in India at the metro cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and Bangalore is very low as compared to the other western countries. For more details on Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in India please visit http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com and enquiry@forerunnershealthcare.com

Patient Safety and Medical Tourism

The common question asked about medical tourism is whether or not it’s safe. What is patient safety? How does one gauge whether or not policies, procedures and techniques offered in a variety of medical fields are safe?

 

Even more perplexing, how is patient safety defined in different countries?

The Joint Commission Perspective on Patient Safety
The Joint Commission is a hospital and medical facility accreditation organization based in the United States.  The Joint Commission International is similar and focused on providing quality care and safety for medical practices around the world. A facility accredited by the Joint Commission International is one that:

 

Measures up to quality benchmarked standards
Employs risk reduction strategies
Offers procedures and techniques and treatments in all world regions
Is focused on patient safety standards

 

The Joint Commission International creates International Standards for Hospitals, International Clinical Lab Standards, International Standards For Care Continuum’s or providing quality care across multiple settings such as private homes, long-term care, rehabilitation, assisted living and end of life care, as well as International Standards For Medical Transport Organizations.

The Joint Commission International is client focused and provides guidelines regarding patient safety in domestic and foreign destinations. The basic focus of the Joint Commission’s Perspectives on Patient Safety is to teach and instruct healthcare organizations how to reduce and prevent errors and to continuously follow standards of quality and efficient patient care.

Creating A Safe Environment
Due to an increase in global healthcare, options and availability, tens of thousands of medical travelers leave their country to seek medical treatment in foreign destinations. In some cases, contributing factors to such the citizens involve affordability while for others it’s a matter of availability.

As many as six million Americans are estimated to seek medical attention in international destinations in coming years, and the number of international medical travelers from other countries such as South Africa, Europe, and Canada as well as travelers from countries like Iraq, Nigeria, Turkey and Croatia are seeking available and affordable medical care across their borders. 

Patients traveling across borders need to take the time to research and understand the capabilities and quality of foreign physicians, surgeons and medical facilities. Quality medical institutions are certified or accredited by domestic accrediting organizations or by international accreditation organizations such as the JCI, WHO, Trent Accreditation Scheme, the Australian ACHSI, or  Quality Health New Zealand, just to name a few.

The International Society for quality in Health Care (ISQua) as well as the USA and Canadian Council on Health Services accreditation also offer certification and accreditations in many global facilities.

What Should Patients Know?
In addition to knowing whether or not a facility or physician is certified or accredited, international medical travelers should also ask a variety of basic questions regarding patient safety and care in any destination.  The American Medical Association recently offered guidelines for medical tourists that include factors such as:

 

Selecting facilities that have been accredited by recognized international accrediting bodies
Follow-up care should be arranged prior to departure to ensure continuity of care
International patients should have access to physician licensure, accreditation of facilities, as well as data or information regarding outcomes of procedures or techniques performed by a specific surgeon or hospital
Transfer and sharing of patient medical records should coincide with HIPAA guidelines

 

Seeking international medical care is a personal decision that every individual must make on their own. However, any foreign facility should offer individual rights, management of information, quality leadership, infection control measures, and access to as well as continuity of care, regardless of procedure or destination.