Guest guest Posted September 18, 2003 Report Share Posted September 18, 2003 That is the exact procedure that they confirmed my divisum by. Yet, after the 4th ERCP the GI and my PCP, mostly my PCP, called off any other ERCP's because of the damage it was causing. I only had one stent put in though. > Hi all, > > I had my second opinion appointment today and this doctor > agrees that it is time to focus on the pancreas and the possible > divisum as a cause for my continuing problems. Though he did > say that it is impossible for pancreas problems (chronic or acute > pancreatitis) to cause elevated liver enzymes - so he is a little > perplexed about that, but suspects that I have two different things > going on and that one is over shadowing the other at times > which is why there is a difficulty in finding the right thing to do. So > the plan is to me to make sure that my insurance will cover the > costs of another ERCP with a pancreatogram done instead of > the cholangiogram that was done two weeks ago, to confirm the > existence of the pancreatic divisium (he is not 100% convinced > from the MRCP films - says that the duct looks abnormal even for > the abnormality - thinks that they may not have imaged the > pancreatic duct at all). If my insurance will cover it, he will do the > ERCP and endoscopic ultrasound. If it is divisium or just high > pressures, he will put a stent in, then in 6 weeks take it out to put > another one in, then 6 weeks after that yet another one. He says > though that the success rate is not that high for those not > experiencing acute bouts of pancreatitis. So it looks like, at the > minimal, I have one more ERCP to go through and possibly two > more after that in the next few months (hoping to get the first one > done in the next week or so). > > Does this sound reasonable in your experience? > > Laurie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2003 Report Share Posted September 18, 2003 For what this might be worth. I had a pancreatic syst that was pushing on the bile duct to the liver this caused my liver to act up. Just thought I would mention this. Myrna -- Pancreatic Divisum Hi all, I had my second opinion appointment today and this doctor agrees that it is time to focus on the pancreas and the possible divisum as a cause for my continuing problems. Though he did say that it is impossible for pancreas problems (chronic or acute pancreatitis) to cause elevated liver enzymes - so he is a little perplexed about that, but suspects that I have two different things going on and that one is over shadowing the other at times which is why there is a difficulty in finding the right thing to do. So the plan is to me to make sure that my insurance will cover the costs of another ERCP with a pancreatogram done instead of the cholangiogram that was done two weeks ago, to confirm the existence of the pancreatic divisium (he is not 100% convinced from the MRCP films - says that the duct looks abnormal even for the abnormality - thinks that they may not have imaged the pancreatic duct at all). If my insurance will cover it, he will do the ERCP and endoscopic ultrasound. If it is divisium or just high pressures, he will put a stent in, then in 6 weeks take it out to put another one in, then 6 weeks after that yet another one. He says though that the success rate is not that high for those not experiencing acute bouts of pancreatitis. So it looks like, at the minimal, I have one more ERCP to go through and possibly two more after that in the next few months (hoping to get the first one done in the next week or so). Does this sound reasonable in your experience? Laurie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2003 Report Share Posted September 18, 2003 Laurie, Myrna brought up a good point, a pseudocyst that is pushing on the bile duct could cause liver abnormalties. If the ERCP was done correctly, though, a pseudocyst should have been visible on the ERCP. Will the same doctor be performing this ERCP that did the last one? Sometimes one specialist is better than another. I learned that by the conflicting reports about my pseudocysts. One radiology specialist said there was only one, another claimed that there were, and still are, two. Naturally, there are TWO, and it wasn't until a repeat ultrasound was done that yet another radiology specialist was able to film this and confirm it to the satisfaction of my doctor. That's why I was curious to know if the next ERCP would be done by a different endoscopy specialist. Another one might find something that the earlier one missed entirely. With hope and prayers, Heidi Heidi H. Griffeth South Carolina SC & SE Regional Rep. PAI, Intl. Note: All comments and advice are personal opinion only, and should not be substituted for professional medical consultation. " What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. " - Ralph Waldo Emerson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2003 Report Share Posted September 18, 2003 Laurie, yes, this sounds reasonable to me as I believe this is what several others have gone through. I have a pancreas divisum, though they weren't able to do the stents on me because my ducts are so small they couldnt even get stents in. Kimber -- Kimber Vallejo, CA hominid2@... Note: All advice given is personal opinion, not equal to that of a licensed physician or health care professional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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