Pseudocyst drainage to Diane

[Guest guest]

,

It's too bad that your husband's developed this pseudocyst, and that

it has developed to such a large size. Doctors always do like to see

if a pseudocyst will resolve on its own before considering any

invasive procedures, but as I know well, sometimes some of them just

don't choose that easy of a way out. Unfortunately, once a pseudocyst

becomes this big, it doesn't allow for many options.....except

drainage or removal.

Where is the surgery going to be done? Has the surgeon indicated to

you what type of procedure he will be doing? One procedure, called a

cystgastrostomy, involves creating communication between the

pseudocyst and stomach, allowing drainage into the stomach, so I

presume that this is what the surgeon proposes to do. Usually spleen

removal is indicated when inflamation in the pancreas has caused

thrombosis of the splenic vein, or it's done to prevent this from

happening, yet I can see why they would want to choose to remove it to

slow down any further progressive growth.

If you want any information about this procedure, or pseudocyst

drainage options in general, I have several articles and medical

research papers describing this and other procedures that I would be

happy to send you. The cystgastrostomy is a well known procedure and

you can locate quite a bit of information about it yourself, just by

looking with your search engine on the internet.

Once the pseudocyst is gone, your husband very likely will be able to

enjoy some relief from the pain it's caused, as well as the chronic

pancreatitis pain that has plagued him up until this point. That's

surely something pleasant for him to look forward to as a result of

the surgery.

Please post again with any new information that you find out

concerning his surgery and the dates. If you would like us to contact

him by card or call, we would need the address and telephone number

for the hospital, as well as your full name, when the date approaches.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

Bluffton, SC

SC State & SE Regional Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or

opinion only, and should not be substituted for professional medical

consultation.

[Guest guest]

Dear Heidi,

The procedure you described is the exact procedure they are talking

about, down to each detail. They also mentioned the blood supply

when they reasoned why they needed to remove the spleen--it is nice

to not feel alone here.

The surgery they said is needed immediately and the doctor said as

soon as the surgeon he feels is best qualified to do this procedure

can reschedule another surgery to fit my husband in, is when they

will do it. He told us he will call at any time as soon as they

have an opening. He told us to not do anything and let him take

care of scheduling everything because he can get it done faster

calling and setting it up as opposed to us doing it.

My husband is actually happy to have this done--he said he knows he

will have the recovery to deal with, but he cannot deal with the

constant unwell feeling and the pain. He is not in bad pain, he

doesn't take anything for it, he says it is a constant, nagging pain-

-not sharp, it just doesn't go away and leaves him feeling tired and

he feels very bloated.

I will do some searches to find out more online and I will keep you

posted when they are going to do, I am thinking next week will

probably be the soonest they could get him in. They are worried

that if it ruptures, there won't be time to do anything to help him.

Thanks again for your quick response, Take care,