Richard Saltz, M.D.

A procedure known as endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography (ERCP) can find and remove stones that block the liver's bile duct. During ERCP, while a patient is under anesthesia, a scope is inserted into his or her mouth, stomach or intestine. A dye injection allows the surgeon to see the stone(s), which can then be removed by making a tiny incision at the base of the bile duct. Any stone(s) in the gallbladder itself still require surgery to be removed.

"Symptoms of gallbladder conditions may range from indigestion to severe chest pain mimicking a heart attack," explains Richard Saltz, M.D., a gastroenterologist on the medical staff at Texoma Medical Center. "After a gallbladder attack, your physician must determine whether the problem is limited to the gallbladder itself or if the stone passed into the bile duct where it caused an obstruction."

Stones that leave the gallbladder may lodge in the common opening of the bile duct and pancreas. This results in painful conditions known as biliary colic -- brief, escalating bouts of mild to severely intense pain in the upper abdomen or back -- or pancreatitis, characterized by abdominal and back pain.

Dr. Saltz performs ERCP and ERS (sphincterotomy) to find and remove bile duct stones. For more information about these procedures or to schedule a consultation, please call the Gastroenterology division of TexomaCare at 903.416.6255.

P.O. Box 890 Denison, Texas 75021-0890