Liver and pancreatic blood tests are minimally invasive blood tests required to examine the bile ducts, gallbladder and pancreatic ducts for any obstruction. The obstruction may cause inflammation in the body due to which enzymes are released by the liver and pancreas into the blood. These enzymes can be measured by testing the blood sample. Blood tests do not require multiple visits or any time under observation.

OCG is an excellent, non invasive diagnostic procedure for locating gallstones in the gallbladder. In this procedure, the patient orally takes iodine containing tablets followed by an abdomen X-ray. Iodine in tablets is removed from the blood by the liver and is secreted into the bile. Iodine stops the X-rays, just like bones, to give an outline of gallstones, which are not dense. The procedure does not require multiple visits or observation time and has 95% accuracy of results.

HIDA, also known as cholescintigraphy or gallbladder scan, is a minimally invasive nuclear medicine procedure conducted by specific nuclear medicine physicians. The patient is intravenously injected with a radioactive chemical. The chemical is removed by the liver which then secretes into the bile. A radioactivity sensing camera is then placed directly on the abdominal skin of the patient and corresponding pictures are taken. This scan is useful in examining the bile and pancreatic ducts for any obstruction by gallstones. The scan takes about 2 hours to complete. The patient is not required to be kept under observation before or after the test. The HIDA is an accurate and a safe procedure with no risk to the patient.

ERCP is a minimally invasive test. In this procedure, the patient is given an intravenous sedation and made to swallow a long, flexible side-viewing video endoscope, known as a duodenoscope. It is passed down the esophagus, through the stomach and into the duodenum. A catheter is passed through a channel into the duodenum to examine the papilla of vator, and the bile and pancreatic ducts for gallstones. Also an X-ray of the bile ducts, gallbladder and pancreatic duct is taken after a contrast material (dye) is intravenously injected. The procedure takes from 30 minutes to 1 hour. The patient may be kept in an observation unit overnight after the test. ERCP is a highly specialized procedure which is conducted in a single visit. The procedure is quite safe and the success rate depends upon the skill of the practitioner. Infection might be caused in rare cases.

MRCP is a modified form of the MRI scan. MRCP is a non-invasive and highly effective diagnostic test for evaluating the pancreatic and bile ducts for gallstones and other related complications. MRCP uses high energy radio waves to form images of the body organs and tissues. The patient is placed on a movable bed which is inserted in a tube surrounding a giant magnet. All the organs and tissues in the body carry water. The radio waves are passed through the tissues and the energy is absorbed by the water to provide images. MRCP is a one time painless procedure with no known risks. The patient is allowed to leave immediately after the test.

Endoscopic ultrasonography is a minimally invasive procedure. It helps in identifying small sized gallstones. The patient is intravenously sedated and an endoscope is advanced down the throat, and placed into the duodenum (the first part of small intestine). The endoscope has a transducer attached to its tip which gives ultrasonographic images of the gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas. This is a better way of visualizing the organs as the endoscope is much nearer to the source. The procedure does not require multiple visits and generally takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour. The patient is kept under observation until the effects of sedation worn out, which usually takes up to 2 hours. EUS is a specialized procedure which requires a skilled practitioner. It is quite safe and complications are rare.

Ultrasonography is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure which uses sound waves of high frequency to produce images of the internal body structure. A transducer is placed directly on the abdomen skin and a two dimensional image is produced through a recorder. The test can identify inflammation of the gallbladder, sludge, and also enlarged gallbladder and bile duct. Transabdominal ultrasonography is an inexpensive and a painless procedure with 97% accuracy in locating gallstones within the gallbladder. It is conducted in a single visit and usually takes about 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon the abnormalities. The patient is not kept under observation after the test. The only limitation of this diagnosis is that it can only locate gallstones with a size of more than 4-5 millimeters. Hence, it may require further diagnosis.