Pancreas Disease and Surgery

This article will cover important information about pancreas disease and surgery. The pancreas is a pivotal organ of the human body. It is responsible for the regulation of vital enzymes inside the body. These enzymes help regulate important chemical processes inside the body. Furthermore, it also produces insulin, which is an essential chemical that controls the blood sugar level. Enzymes and chemicals such as these help you absorb micro and macronutrients. Not to mention, the Pancreas plays an emphatic role in the digestion process as well.

Pancreatic Disorders

Pancreatic disorders are one of the toughest medical issues to treat. The two most serious pancreatic disorders are exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and pancreatitis.  EPI is an extremely harmful disorder that can lead to chronic pancreatitis.

Other disorders in the pancreas include cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer. Each of these conditions comes with varying symptoms and causes.

Pancreatitis

Condition of pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas. An individual can have three types of pancreatitis, acute, chronic, and hereditary. Each of these three types constitutes a different cause and severity.

(Source)

Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis can be an underlying cause of another condition, such as gallstones. It is a short term and sudden inflammation that you can face due to excessive use of harmful substances.  These substances include drugs, alcohol, and unhealthy edibles that influence hormonal imbalance in the body. Therefore, any abnormalities in the electrolytes and lipids can lead to acute pancreatitis.

The pain associated with this condition is very severe. You can expect intense pain in the upper abdomen region, followed by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Apart from the many habitual triggers of this disease, it can also be a result of inheritance. Hence, doctors carry out the treatment for this disease according to the cause.

Chronic Pancreatitis

Unlike acute pancreatitis, the development of chronic pancreatitis is slow and progressive. Therefore, the symptoms gradually occur and can last much longer than acute pancreatitis. This condition can also lead to exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. A person suffering from chronic pancreatitis encounters symptomatic episodes of diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.

One can also begin to lose weight. The slow progression of this disease can cause long-term damage to the pancreas. Lastly, since the pancreas regulates the blood glucose level and nutrient absorption, a person with chronic pancreatitis becomes highly vulnerable to diabetes and malnutrition.

Hereditary Pancreatitis

Like chronic pancreatitis, hereditary pancreatitis is also a progressive condition. Genetic mutations cause the occurrence of this condition in an individual. With this disease, a person can start showing symptoms as early as 30 years old. Further complications will also cause a person to develop the symptoms of chronic pancreatitis. Doctors usually treat this condition with the help of PERT and pain management.

EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency)

EPI is a condition that makes a person highly enzyme deficient. The deficiency of enzymes can lead to severe consequences. The pancreas loses its functionality to release nutrient-absorbing enzymes and causes malnourishment.  Another indication of this disorder is the excessive fat in a person’s stool.

Surgery for Pancreatitis

A doctor resorts to surgical solutions for pancreatitis when the pancreas becomes unable to secrete essential fluids. This inability is usually due to tissue scarring of the pancreas, which the inflammation causes.  Surgeons will either create a new passageway from the pancreas to the small intestine to exhibit the flow of the fluids. Alternatively, the surgeons will remove the infected tissue from the pancreas.

Lateral Pancreaticojejunostomy

This surgical procedure heals the central part and the tails of the pancreas. This particular surgical approach involves the surgeons operating on the pancreatic duct. This duct is an organic tube that covers the pancreas and makes the essential fluids flow inside.

The surgeons take this duct and attach it to the small intestine, where most of the digestion and absorption takes place. By doing so, the doctors counter the problems with nutrient absorption. Once they form the connection between the digestive enzymes and the food particles, the patient starts to build back their nutrition intake.

Pancreatic Resection

Surgeons decide to take this surgical approach when the infectious cavity starts causing massive damage to the pancreas. The spread of inflammation in a muscle cavity will cause the pancreas muscles to die. In this case, the doctor needs to proceed with a pancreatic resection to stop the inflammation from causing further destruction. For this procedure, the doctor removes the infectious areas of the pancreas to keep it from spreading and causing other complications.

(Source)

Recovery

The recovery time of the surgery can depend on the type of the surgery also your condition. Open surgery usually accounts for a longer recovery time because the incision wound needs rest time to heal. However, if the surgeon uses another technique in which the incisions are small, then you can expect the recovery to be faster.

Pancreas Disease and Surgery: To Conclude

If you or anyone you know are suffering from pancreatic problems, then visit Lenox Hill Surgeons. We provide you with the best surgeons, specialized in treating pancreas diseases. Visit our website or call us today to schedule an appointment:

LENOX HILL SURGEONS
155 East 76th Street
Suite 1C
New York, NY 10021

Phone: 646-846-1136
Email: lenoxhillsurgeons@gmail.com

Website: https://www.lenoxhillsurgeons.com/