to Snowdog

[Guest guest]

Snowdog,

You didn't mention whether any other diagnostic procedures had

been done to determine the current status of your pancreas after

these acute attacks. I meant to ask you about this earlier, and

forgot. Have they done any CT-scans or ultrasounds, yet?

The CT-scan is considered the key imaging modality used for

management of acute pancreatitis. This totally non-invasive

procedure, along with the clinical Ransom criteria, help greatly in

determining the severity of an acute attack, accessing damage to

the organ and forecasting necessary treatment.

Ultrasounds are not as precise in clarity for reviewing pancreatic

damage as some of the other imaging techniques, but, these,

also, can be very revealing! I'm just curious to know if these

other diagnostic procedures had been performed, as they are

usually the first studies that are considered. As I said in my

earlier post, the ERCP does carry a 15% risk of another acute

attack. Customarily, it's scheduled after all other non-invasive

tests have been performed and proven inconclusive in

assessing the extent of damage to the pancreas and related

organs. It's essential that the ERCP be done by a highly

experienced pancreatic specialist who specializes in this

procedure.

I hope you don't mind my questions and comments. I just think

that every patient has the right to know about all of the options

that are available for their treatment. Some doctors are very

thorough and explain all this to their patients from the very

beginning, yet there are others who don't tell a patient everything

they need to know. These people are often confused and upset

to find out all the options after the fact. We learn with this

disease, that we have to be our own advocates.

It sounds like you are trying your best to be a knowledgeable and

informed patient, but since you didn't talk about any previous

diagnostic procedures, I wanted to make sure you knew they

were available.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC State & SE Regional Representative

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments and advice are personal opinion only, and

should not be substituted for professional medical consultation.