Re: Repetitive stenting

[Guest guest]

I know of one person who has recently done this with Dr Lehman

in Indy. This is from Wisconsin. She is currently

recuperating from a hernia surgery so I am butting in here to

relay her experiences with this procedure as I know them. I do

not feel it is my whole right to speak for her, so I will limit my

explanation to a basic overview of my impressions when talking /

emailing her.

From my understanding she has done the progressive stenting

this spring / summer after having several stents placed

previously (and surgery too I think). The other stents were

successful in that they treated, temporarily, the pain. But when

she recently got blocked again, she elected to aggressively treat

this with the progressive stents in which they place multiple

stents at a time over many months. She was suppose to start

with two stents but because of her condition, Dr Lehman only

placed one intially. This was left in for as long as possible but

not longer than around 8 weeks I think. In her case, I think it

came out sooner because of blockage (?). The next ERP placed

two stents which were left in place close to 8 weeks and then

she just recently had three stents placed (end of April). These

stents are suppose to be the self migrating kind but the last I

talked to her, they hadn't left yet so there is a possibility that her

doctor may have to go in to get them out (keeping my fingers

crossed that he won't have to).

My impression is that she has had great luck with pain control.

When she talked to me, she was very enthusiastic with both Dr

Lehman and the procedure but it is best that she describe the

details to you.

Stenting has many controversies involved in that the procedure

alone can cause chronic pancreatitis and that is why many

doctors are hesitant to suggest this approach. There is thought

that too many stents will ruin a persons chance for any kind of

surgical intervention but that may just be " turf battles " talking.

The controversies involve scarring and inflammation from the

stents which is why many endoscopists think that leaving them

in for as little as time as possible for effective treatment is the

ideal. Some people don't block up as quickly as others, but

research has published that most stents are blocked at 12

weeks after insertion. That is why they are removed no longer

than 8 weeks (on average) after being placed and either

exchanged with a new bigger or longer one or just left alone.

Laurie

[Guest guest]

Sandy,

" pancreas pain should never happen as long as

he can perform surgery on you to relieve it "

This doctor sounds surgery happy to me. That seems so strange when

I've had doctor after doctor who all agree that surgery should be a

last resort, and most usually prefer to treat any other way first.

As for them not believing that stress or physical activity can cause

pain..that's absurd. It has been proven worldwide that those two

things can aggravate an already bad situation, or cause a new

problem to happen. Just in my opinion, it sounds like because they

can't see anything in written confidently in black and white, or

they don't believe in it themselves, then it must be so.

On another site I belong to, a woman needs an out of network

hospital & doctor to treat her tumors, but has been denied by her

insurance. She has just found out that she can appeal their

decision, and a doctor did in fact reply to her that an insurance

agency cannot refuse a particular doctor to treat any patient if

that doctor is medically necessary to the patient's treatment.

I would be calling on your PCP for help stating that there is

something medically wrong, and you need the help of this out of

network doctor, as the other two want to either perform surgery

first, or don't believe you based on nothing but a mere ct scan.

If I am wrong please forgive me, but I hope I am not, and this might

help you to get the medical attention you need.