Re : Endo Coeliac Plexus Block

[Guest guest]

Hello Cyndi,

I want to be very careful what I say in answer to your question. I

have no medical qualifications whatsoever and no personal experience

of this procedure. I have however read a lot of comments from people

who have had the procedure and have found the effects to be very

short-lived or non-existent.

If you read the information booklet by Professor Neoptolemos (Royal

Liverpool Hospital), which Mark has just posted on this board, you

will see that he says that most pancreatic surgeons do not recommend

the procedure because the effects are short-lived and it can make

any necessary future surgery more difficult.

However, there are two points to make :

(1) Prof N. wrote these booklets for patients and the PSN,

(Pancreatitis Supporters' Network, British-based group)a little

while ago; I'm not sure when. We know that research into new

variations on procedures is going on all the time. He is my panc

specialist but I have never spoken to him about this procedure. His

current thinking may be exactly the same now, of course; I just

don't know. There may still be times when he suggests the procedure;

I just don't know. I could ask him to find out.

(2)I suppose there may always be exceptions to any general rule.

There may be times when it is justifiably recommended; I just don't

know. Maybe when as much surgery has been carried out as is going to

be carried out on the pancreas, for example, it may be a last resort

for pain management; I simply don't know.

I think the only safe thing is to discuss this with your pancreas

specialist but to be very cautious in view of many people's

experience. Hopefully some patients who have had the procedure will

post now to help you with their own personal experience.

With very good wishes,

Fliss