Pancreas is a very vital organ situated behind the stomach. It is important for digestion as well as it is an important endocrine organ involved in blood glucose control and many more endocrine functions.

Problems of Pancreas are some of the most complicated and notorious problems of abdomen. There are few centres in Central India managing diseases related to Pancreas. Dr Digant Pathak in Jabalpur is regularly doing surgeries for pancreatic diseases (diseases of Pancreas) such as chronic calcific pancreatitis, walled off necrosis, Whipples surgery for periampullary tumors. Dr Digant Pathak is the first in Jabalpur to perform advanced laparoscopic surgeries for pancreas: laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and laparoscopic cystogastrostomy.  The commonly seen pancreatic problems are

ACUTE PANCREATITIS :

Acute Pancreatitis is a potentially life threatening condition causing inflammation of the pancreas. The patient usually has very severe upper abdominal pain, back pain and vomiting. The two most common causes of pancreatitis are alcohol intake and Gallbladder stones. Of all the patients with Acute Pancreatitis about 70% have mild to moderate pancreatitis. Almost all such patients recover without significant morbidities.

But the rest of 30 % have severe pancreatitis, in which many other organs of body like kidneys, lungs etc. are also damaged. These patients become critical with kidney, lung and liver problems and needs ICU care. They may also need intervention or surgery. Patients with severe necrotising pancreatitis usually have a prolonged hospital and ICU stay, may need multiple interventions and surgeries. Despite all these efforts about 5-10% of these patients do not survive. Severe pancreatitis patients respond to treatment in different way and it is not possible to predict the outcome. Although there are many criterias to predict severity or risks involved in the disease none of them are 100 percent full proof

CHRONIC PANCREATITIS :

Chronic pancreatitis involves progressive destruction of pancreas leading to loss of function (digestive as well as endocrine functions gets damaged). This is not a life-threatening condition like acute pancreatitis, but it is a long-term problem affecting the quality of life. The patients usually have recurrent pain in the upper abdomen and upper back. Gradually patient develops fat indigestion and diabetes.

In selected group of patients especially with wide ducts and stones in duct of the pancreas surgery if done in a timely manner by an expert gives satisfactory outcome. Different types of surgical options are available depending upon the type of disease. Dr Digant Pathak frequently does simple bypass procedure (LPJ) or bypass with head debulking procedure (Frey’s procedure).

TUMORS OF PANCREAS :

Cancer of Pancreas or of surrounding structures (peri ampullary tumours) carry relatively worse prognosis as they are usually diagnosed late, are ill managed and are located at a very difficult anatomical location. Just like other pancreatic problems the cancer of pancreas is also a complex disease requiring expert treatment.

Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for pancreatic cancers. Periampullary tumors need Whipples procedure whereas tumors of distal body needs distal pancreatectomy with or without removal of spleen.

Dr Digant Pathak https://www.drdigantpathak.in is the first surgeon in Jabalpur to perform Laparoscopic removal of Pancreas with spleen (Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy).

Dr Pathak is regularly performing Whipples surgery with NO Pancreatic leaks and NO mortality.