Re : Hiya all (why total pancreatectomy)

[Guest guest]

Donna,

I was told that in idiopathic pancreatitis where attacks spiral out of

control, becoming ever more frequent and dangerous as mine had become, the

Whipple was not a complete solution. In many cases a Whipple gave no relief

at all even, and the same with a distal pancreatectomy. The belief is the

organ at a cellular level is defective and if any of it is left intact, it

will continue to autodigest. In cases where a doctor really really believes

a Whipple is going to end the problem I would consider it, but by and large

I have heard a large amount of Whipple patients end up having problems

again.

Also, there is the question of harvesting the Islet cells for

autotransplant. In a Whipple usually a significant portion of cells are left

and the patient does not need insulin support. But not always. And if you

think you may end up needing the remaining pancreas removed, will one be a

candidate? Will the post-Whipple person have enough islet cells for

transplant? Most doctors will not do a pancreatectomy if it will likely

result in total loss of insulin production. The main exception is

pancreatitic cancer.

health,

Bert

Hi All,

I guess I don't understand why so many of you have the

complete pancreactomy rather than the Whipple! Is it

because there is to much damage.

Help answer my question,

Donna,

Hermon, Maine

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[Guest guest]

Donna,

I was told that in idiopathic pancreatitis where attacks spiral out of

control, becoming ever more frequent and dangerous as mine had become, the

Whipple was not a complete solution. In many cases a Whipple gave no relief

at all even, and the same with a distal pancreatectomy. The belief is the

organ at a cellular level is defective and if any of it is left intact, it

will continue to autodigest. In cases where a doctor really really believes

a Whipple is going to end the problem I would consider it, but by and large

I have heard a large amount of Whipple patients end up having problems

again.

Also, there is the question of harvesting the Islet cells for

autotransplant. In a Whipple usually a significant portion of cells are left

and the patient does not need insulin support. But not always. And if you

think you may end up needing the remaining pancreas removed, will one be a

candidate? Will the post-Whipple person have enough islet cells for

transplant? Most doctors will not do a pancreatectomy if it will likely

result in total loss of insulin production. The main exception is

pancreatitic cancer.

health,

Bert

Hi All,

I guess I don't understand why so many of you have the

complete pancreactomy rather than the Whipple! Is it

because there is to much damage.

Help answer my question,

Donna,

Hermon, Maine

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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

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[Guest guest]

Bert,

I asked my doctor about having a Whipple due to my pancreatic duct

collapsing all the time, instead of just changing stents every

couple of months, and he told me also that many people who have a

Whipple will still, or eventually experience pain after the

operation and later on down the track. Two GI's and a surgeon all

concurred that a Whipple would not help my pain any, I still don't

know why that is, but do know they wouldn't have told me that for no

reason because if they wanted to get their knives in me, they would

have been all for the surgery. So, I get a stent put in, 6-8 weeks

later have it taken out, then when my duct collapses again, they go

in and put another one in..usually 2 weeks after one has been taken

out.