Your Recovery
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram (ERCP)
If your biliary duct placement was done with ERCP, you probably will stay at the hospital or clinic for 1 to 2 hours. This will allow the numbing medicine to wear off. You will be able to go home after your doctor or a nurse checks to make sure that you are not having any problems. If you stay in the hospital overnight, you may go home the next day.
You may have a sore throat for a day or two after the procedure.
Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC)
If the placement was done with PTC, your doctor may have you lie on your right side for at least 6 hours before you can go home. This is to lower the risk of bleeding from the injection site.
If you stay in the hospital overnight, you may go home the next day.
You may have some pain where the needle entered your skin (the puncture site). You may also have pain in your shoulder. This is called referred pain. It's caused by pain travelling along a nerve that goes to the liver. The referred pain usually lasts less than 12 hours. You may have a small amount of bleeding from the puncture site.
You will need to take it easy at home for 1 or 2 days after the PTC. You will probably be able to go back to work and most of your usual activities after that.
This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace. Follow the steps below to feel better as quickly as possible.
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse call line if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
Enter U812 in the search box to learn more about "Biliary Stent Placement: What to Expect at Home".