Looking for Surgeon

[Guest guest]

As you all know I had a great visit with my PCP this week. Since then I have

been searching the internet trying to find the BEST surgeon to do my

sphincteroplasty. My PCP didn't want me using any general surgeon since my

pancreas is so touchy. She told me to search the web and find the best of

the best when it comes to sphinteroplasty, even if it meant going out of

state or her needing to fight my insurance for a non network surgeon. I have

been searching and am now about to give up. So I thought I'd ask all us

experts if any of you have had this done. If you have I would like to know

who you would recommend or tell me to avoid. I'd also like to know about

your recovering time, length of hospital stay, and of course the truth about

the pain. I realize everyone has different pain tolerance levels, but we all

know a surgeon will sugar coat the pain aspects.

Also thought I would share that I got my info packet for my pain management

visit. Talk about alot of questions to answer. For those of you that

already have a pain med doctor I'd like to know what to expect. I'm sure

every doc is different, but I'd like to have an idea. I'm afraid they will

think I'm a drug seeker too. It also said that before my visit I will be

registered at our local hospital as an outpatient. That has me really

confused.

I thank you all in advance. I know you will all have good advice. I can

count on this group and I love you guys! Hope you are all well. I'm not

pain free today, but it is a little better than it has been. We held my

son's 8th birthday today and since I haven't been feeling well I cheated and

we ordered pizza. I just can't muster up the energy to cook. It worked out

for the best b/c everyone had a great time and I didn't have to wear myself

out.

Jenise

Mansfield

P.S. Sorry if you get this message twice, but I sent it to both pancreas

groups I belong to.

[Guest guest]

Jenise,

I had a sphincteroplasty in 1993. The physician who did it

is Dr. Lawrence Way at UCSF (University of California: San

Francisco). I do not regret having it even though I did go

chronic. It gave me about 5 years with no problems from the

pancreas. It hurt quite a bit, they had me walking from day

one. The hospital staff screwed up my diabetes during my

stay, but what can you expect from a teaching hospital. Best

times to get good staff is Spring and Fall. Avoid Winter and

Summer, that's when they have all the newbies.

It took 3 months before I felt like my stomach wasn't going

to just come spilling out my abdomen. The scar is rather

large as they have to do some exploratory surgery to find

the ducts. They took out the gallbladder as well, just in

case (don't know if you still have your or not). I was told

I could not do any exercise for 6 months and then only

swimming for an additional six months. It's major surgery so

there is a mortality rate.

For pain management.

My clinic uses a interdisciplinary approach. You see not one

doctor, but three. You have a two day class (1 day a week)

and you fill out a huge questionaire (sound familiar?).

Then, after they evaluate your questionaire and feel that

you need pain management (they didn't have any problem with

my pancreatitis being accepted), they schedule a four hour

appointment with the three physicians. You will see a

physician(neurologist), a psychologist and a physical

therapist. You see each one separately for 45 minutes. Then

you wait while they confer with each other and come up with

a treatment plan. Then you met with all three of them and

they present their treatment plan. You are allowed some

input. I had to remind mine that I was allergic to morphine,

which is what they initially wanted to put me on, so they

ended up putting me on methadone for long lasting and

oxycodone for breakthrough pain. Then they enrolled me in a

ten week class on managing pain. It was one day a week and I

feel it was definitely worth attending. You are only allowed

to miss two classes. If you miss more you will be

disenrolled and have to reenroll in another class to

complete it.

I hope your pain management is similar and have just as

helpful a pain clinic as the one I'm going to.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Southwest and California Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

[Guest guest]

Jenise,

I had a sphincteroplasty in 1993. The physician who did it

is Dr. Lawrence Way at UCSF (University of California: San

Francisco). I do not regret having it even though I did go

chronic. It gave me about 5 years with no problems from the

pancreas. It hurt quite a bit, they had me walking from day

one. The hospital staff screwed up my diabetes during my

stay, but what can you expect from a teaching hospital. Best

times to get good staff is Spring and Fall. Avoid Winter and

Summer, that's when they have all the newbies.

It took 3 months before I felt like my stomach wasn't going

to just come spilling out my abdomen. The scar is rather

large as they have to do some exploratory surgery to find

the ducts. They took out the gallbladder as well, just in

case (don't know if you still have your or not). I was told

I could not do any exercise for 6 months and then only

swimming for an additional six months. It's major surgery so

there is a mortality rate.

For pain management.

My clinic uses a interdisciplinary approach. You see not one

doctor, but three. You have a two day class (1 day a week)

and you fill out a huge questionaire (sound familiar?).

Then, after they evaluate your questionaire and feel that

you need pain management (they didn't have any problem with

my pancreatitis being accepted), they schedule a four hour

appointment with the three physicians. You will see a

physician(neurologist), a psychologist and a physical

therapist. You see each one separately for 45 minutes. Then

you wait while they confer with each other and come up with

a treatment plan. Then you met with all three of them and

they present their treatment plan. You are allowed some

input. I had to remind mine that I was allergic to morphine,

which is what they initially wanted to put me on, so they

ended up putting me on methadone for long lasting and

oxycodone for breakthrough pain. Then they enrolled me in a

ten week class on managing pain. It was one day a week and I

feel it was definitely worth attending. You are only allowed

to miss two classes. If you miss more you will be

disenrolled and have to reenroll in another class to

complete it.

I hope your pain management is similar and have just as

helpful a pain clinic as the one I'm going to.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Southwest and California Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International