Re: ercp report

[Guest guest]

,

That sounds like an exact replica of my ERCP's. The filling defect

is something that is in the duct that shouldn't be. I had a small

tumour in my pancreatic duct, and they referred to it as a filling

defect. They thought it could have been a stone or airbubble, but it

wouldn't budge and they biopsied it and it came back positive for a

tumour that I have many of in my abdomen.

Unable to see the pancreatic duct?..well with mine, they said the

pancreatic duct was unable to be seen. I saw a picture of what they

were talking about. The bile duct was visible..like a little tunnel,

but where the pancreatic duct opening was supposed to be was just

muscle. The muscle around the pancreatic duct was causing so much

pressure there that it had caused the pancreatic duct to close.

There was nowhere for the enzymes to drain, hence, they were going

back the way they came. The doctors at MD went in and did a

huge sphincterotomy and put in another stent and 4 weeks later I had

the stent removed. It seems to have worked. No major pain..an

occasional short attack, which I picture my pancreatic duct

beginning to close again, but then the enzymes pushing through,

opening the duct again.

I have also been told that it takes 24 hours for the amylase &

lipase to reach their peak at the onset of an attack, then with

treatment, they will regress some if not all the way back to normal.

Hope I've helped you some

[Guest guest]

Yes ,

every time I had a stent placed, I had an attack and had to be

hospitalized. Sometimes I woke with an attack in progress, other

times one would hit me within an hour of coming out of the

anaesthetic. Having the stent taken out didn't cause too much pain

at all. If you have an attack whilst the stent is in place, then it

has probably blocked. The doctor will then do another ERCP and

unblock it and you should be right for the remainder of the time it

is in there.

When you have the stent first placed, you may feel that it's there,

tightfeeling, may be able to feel it " poke " you if you bend over,

but I either got used to it, or everything around it relaxed as time

passed on. Otherwise no problems..just the occasional blockage

[Guest guest]

Robin,

the first stent I had placed was to only stay in for 10-14 days. It

was supposed to have passed naturally after that. It did disappear

(confirmed by xray 2 weeks later) but instead of going out of the

body, a doctor found it a year later..sucked deep into my pancreas.

The next stent I had placed was left in for 3 months. They decided

to leave mine in as long as it would stay because my duct kept

closing and the only way to get the enzymes to pass through was with

the stent.This GI told me it could stay for 3-6 months, and then

they would take it out and replace it with another one. At 3 months

I started getting bad pain again and found it had blocked. The duct

opening had also opened so another stent was not put in until 2

weeks later when my duct closed again. This one was in for 2 months,

and again removed when it blocked. A third stent was placed 2 weeks

after that one was removed..same thing duct had closed yet again. A

new stent was placed, blocked twice then removed. They also did a

huge sphincterotomy with the last stent and since that one has come

out, i've only had a little bit of pain. So it must be

working ..fingers crossed.

If left in too long the body can develop an infection due to the

stent and there is a risk of it being sucked into the pancreas also.

Another thing i was told about by my GI is that people who have

stents in place can tend to develop a bit of scar tissue at the site

of the stent.

Still all of this has been preferable to having a Whipple procedure.

[Guest guest]

,

My quality of life did improve having the stents. I was in hospital

for approx 3 out of every 4 weeks with attacks..it was beginning to

feel like I was living at hospital and coming home for a short

vacation. At least with the stents in, even getting blocked, I was

able to stay home for 6 weeks at a time..much better than what I had

before them. After all this talk of being almost pain free, i think

my body is beginning to let me know the problem has not gone

completely *L*..been having pain most the morning..but then I did

mow 2/3 of my front yard which is about 1 acre big..and on a

slope..think i may have overdone it *L*

I guess the housework will have to be put off until tomorrow *L*

catherine