Surgery for pancreatitis

Pancreatitis and themain characteristics

Pancreatitis is a medical term for the condition in which thefirst part of the small intestine, or pancreas, is inflamed. It can be acute orchronic, and even though the symptoms are different, generally speaking, thiscondition is serious in both forms and it can cause serious complications anddamage. When it comes to the causes of this condition, the fact is that theyalso differ depending on the form, and gallstones are one of the most frequent causes of acute pancreatitis, but it is also possible that the excessive use of the alcohol can cause it, as well as particular medications, infections, or even tumors.

On the other side, as frequent causes of chronic form of pancreatitisconditions such as hypercalcemia, cystic fibrosis and particular autoimmunediseases are recognized, as well as certain medicines and even hereditydisorders. According to the statistics, pancreatitis is definitely more frequent in men than in women.

To some extent, the treatment also depends on the type,symptoms and the cause of pancreatitis, but in general, people who suffer fromit are usually treated with medicines such as antibiotics and pain relievers, although somecases may require staying in the hospital and intravenous fluids. The moreserious cases, as well as those in which some complications occur, do require the surgery.

Surgery as a methodof treatment

When it comes to the surgery as a method of treatment,several options are available, but the choice depends on the case. For example,if the gallstones are the cause of pancreatitis, they can be removed with thesurgery procedure called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram. Still,there are cases that require the removal of gallbladder, and it can be removed intwo ways, either through the laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, or open gallbladdersurgery. There are several other options that can also be done incases of chronic pancreatitis, but their choice depends on the surgeons, their opinion andexpertise. Among these options are the following procedures:

Whipple procedure, which is most frequently used, particularlyin cases in which it cannot be determined whether the patient has a cancer ornot;Puestow procedure, which is the most effective, and which isused in cases when the main duct is very dilated;Berger’s procedure, which is the least radical, and whichhas the greatest chances of bringing pain relief to the patient, but which alsohas a significant percentage of morbidity after the surgery; andFrey’s procedure, which has only recently become popular.