What is an oral cholecystogram?
An oral cholecystogram is an x-ray procedure used to look
for gallstones in the gallbladder or bile duct.
When is it used?
Located underneath the liver on your right side, the
gallbladder is shaped like a balloon and holds bile that
drains from the liver. Bile, which helps to digest fat, can
create a sediment that forms gallstones. These stones can
remain loose in the gallbladder, block the gallbladder, get
stuck in the narrow common bile duct (the tube leading into
the small intestine from the liver, pancreas, and the
gallbladder), or enter the intestine. When the stones block
the neck of the gallbladder, they partly block the flow of
bile. When the gallbladder contracts, you may have pain.
This procedure may help your health care provider make a
better diagnosis of your problem.
Examples of alternatives include:
- Ultrasound, a technique that produces and receives
high-frequency sound waves. After they pass into the tissue,
the reflected sound waves make a picture on a video
screen and can be photographed for study.
- Other tests, including blood tests. Discuss these
possible tests with your health care provider.
How do I prepare for an oral cholecystogram?
Tell your health care provider if you are allergic to
contrast dye or seafood. Also, tell your provider if you
are or may be pregnant.
Follow your health care provider's instructions. The night
before the procedure, eat a light, low-fat meal such as soup
and salad. Several hours after the night meal, take the
pills your provider provided. Take one pill every 5 minutes
until they are gone. The dye in these pills will outline
the gallbladder on the x-rays.
Do not eat or drink anything the morning of the procedure.
What happens during the procedure?
A technologist will take several x-rays of your abdomen.
The gallbladder and any stones may show up on the x-ray.
You may be given something to eat or drink to contract the
gallbladder and put dye into the bile ducts and intestine.
The technologist may then take more x-rays of your abdomen.
If the gallbladder does not show up on the x-rays, your
health care provider may want you to repeat this test the
next day.
What happens after the procedure?
The radiologist will send the complete report to your
health care provider. You should call your provider's
office in a few days to hear the results. Ask your provider
how you should take care of yourself and when you should
come back for a checkup.
What are the benefits of this procedure?
Your health care provider may know if there are stones in
the gallbladder and can decide what treatment to suggest.
What are the risks associated with this procedure?
- You may have an allergic reaction to the dye. In an
allergic reaction, your body's immune system misreads a
harmless substance as harmful. As a result you can have
symptoms that vary widely in severity. For example, you
could get hives, nausea, fainting or swelling.
- The test may not work.
- The dye may not pass into the gallbladder.
- The pills may give you diarrhea.
You should ask your health care provider how these risks
apply to you.
When should I call my health care provider?
Call your health care provider right away if:
- You have an allergic reaction to the dye.
- You develop a fever.
- You vomit up the pills after you take them.
Call your health care provider during office hours if:
- You have questions about the procedure or its result.
- You want to make another appointment.
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new health information becomes available. The
information is intended to inform and educate and is not a
replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or
treatment by a healthcare professional.
Copyright © 2005 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved.