Endoscopic pseudocyst drainage is a technique aimed to drain a cyst (ball of fluid) that can sometimes develop as a complication of acute or chronic pancreatitis. The procedure is now customarily done using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS).
The procedure is performed by a physician using a thin flexible tube with a camera and light source called an endoscope with a miniature ultrasound attached to it. The physician will insert this device through the mouth or anus to examine the necessary organs. The ultrasound probe will generate sound waves to create visual images of the organs being examined.
A few weeks after the initial procedure is performed, the doctor will obtain a CT scan of the abdomen to assess the progress of the pseudocyst drainage. Provided that the cyst has shrunk to a satisfactory level, the patient will then return several weeks later for another endoscopy to have the stent removed.
