Chronic Pancreatitis

What is chronic pancreatitis?

Chronic pancreatitis is inflammation in the pancreas that doesn’t heal or improve.

In time, the condition worsens and can lead to permanent damage that affects your digestion and the pancreas’s ability to make pancreatic hormones. This can increase your risk for serious health issues like:

• Diabetes
• Gallstones
• Kidney failure
• Pancreatic cancer

Typically, chronic pancreatitis affects people 30-40 years old who drink alcohol excessively or have blockages in the pancreatic or bile ducts. However, people of any age can develop it due to genetic mutations of cystic fibrosis, autoimmune disorders, or a family history of the disease.

What are the symptoms of chronic pancreatitis?

You can have chronic pancreatitis without any symptoms. However, warning signs of the disease include persistent upper abdominal pain that worsens with eating and drinking. Your pain may also spread to your back and become severe enough to be disabling.

Other symptoms of chronic pancreatitis can include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weight loss
• Diarrhea
• Oily or fatty stools
• Pale or clay-colored stools

You should speak with your primary care provider immediately if you have these symptoms, so you can get a proper diagnosis. Dr. Hughes can then discuss your surgical options for treating chronic pancreatitis.

How is chronic pancreatitis treated?

The only cure for chronic pancreatitis is a total pancreatectomy (TP). This procedure has certain health risks for diabetes, exocrine insufficiency, and the usual risks of major surgery. Dr. Hughes may suggest an islet autotransplant (IAT) after a TP to mitigate some of your risk for complications.

Dr. Hughes works closely with Koligo Therapeutics to develop cell therapies for the treatment of pancreatic diseases. Koligo produces pancreatic islets known as Kyslecel that Dr. Hughes puts back into your body after surgery to produce the insulin you need to control blood sugar levels.

During your TP-IAT surgery, Dr. Hughes carefully prepares your pancreas to ensure a good blood supply. He ships your pancreas to Koligo’s production facility, so they can make pancreatic islets from your own pancreas. They ship the islets back to Dr. Hughes, who delivers them into your body.

After the removal of your pancreas, you need to take pancreatic enzymes for the rest of your life to help your body digest fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.

If you need surgery to treat chronic pancreatitis, call Vanguard Surgical LLC to schedule a consultation.

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