At what point?

Pancreatitis
#1

Hello everyone,

I have had a stent in the head of my pancreas for 5 months now. I am going in again on the 22nd (my b-day!!) for another ERCP.

At what point will the doctor say the stent isn’t working, let’s try something else? Or will that happen?

Last time they wanted to stop putting the stent in but my duct closed up immediately after they took the old stent out. So in went another one. This one was supposed to be in for 3 months. But I am having problems again so they are taking it out/exchange? a month early.

What have been your experiences with stent replacements??

By-the-way Anyse. Thanks for the list of causes. I found a couple of things that I had had. The penicillin one was very interesting to me. I had penicillin poisoning when I was 2. Very high fever, packed in ice. I’ve often wondered if that didn’t account for a lot of my digestive problems. My mother told me she could see my organs standing in relief through my skin. ( I think that was probably the intestines)

Vonnie

#2

Hi Vonnie,
I too have trouble with needing stents and then building scar tissue and getting more strictures in my duct. My normal span is a year at the longest, then ERCP and Spincterectomy time. This last one perforated my pancreatic duct causing a large pseudocyst at the tail of my pancreas that is very slow at resolving. Since then I have increased pain and nausea on and off. I am very frustrated.
Do you have spincter of oddi dysfunction?

#3

I am inerested in what you said about keeping a stent for an extended period of time. My GI only puts in temporary ones b/c he said that if you leave it in much longer then you will get scar tissue. He mentioned nothing about anything about the other things you are describing. I only found out through my med records that I requested that I have sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. I am nurse so it’s not like I would be unable to understand medical lingo. Besides, I have met many non-healthcare workers who know more about their disorders/health than some docs!

I had my second ERCP (I know, compared to everyone else I am practically a virgin when it comes to ERCP’s)on the 6th and he said that I had some scarring in the pancreatic duct that he had to scrape out b/c it had caused a stricture and my psuedocyst he had drained last July (I felt so much better after that than I did after my 1st ERCP) was back and bigger. Now I wonder which come first, the chicken or the egg.

I would love it if you would share your opinions and/or experiences. Thanks in advance for your time!

Blessings,
Angela

#4

Hey everyone,

Thanks for answering. Part of my problem is that I went to a doctor for a second opinion and have ended up being there for 5 months. He took my stent out last time and my duct closed right back up!! I think he must have watched it happen. I know there are different kinds of stents. Some are smooth, some have little fish hooks on the end that hold them in place.

I went to my GI in the Springs and saw his PA. She is going to send a referral and request that Dr. Chen in Denver be my primary care doctor for the pancreatitis. The problem right now is that I can’t ask questions. The doctor’s don’t want to step on each others toes or overstep their boundaries. Professional courtesy?? Anyway, I was thrilled to hear that Dr. Chen’s clinic will be the number one dr. for me. He cam highly recommended by the University of Cincinnati.

I have to go to Denver on the 22nd of Aug. to have this stent removed/replaced. They won’t know until they get in there. This stent was supposed to stay in until Sept. 18. (It was put in June 27) But about two weeks ago I started having problems again. Last night was a bad night and today has been so-so. Back to the liquid/soft diet.

I don’t even know what Odii is. So I guess I don’t have it.

Vonnie

#5

I too have had stents put in and taken out. First by Dr. Geenan in Milwaukee and most recently by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. I was told that the stents had to be removed after a month. I think they have helped but they do evidently cause scarring and I don’t think my Mayo dr. was thrilled to use them except that the scarring had to be dealt with. Betsy

#6

Hey everyone,

I found out yesterday that my GI in Denver is thinking about sending me to a surgeon. I won’t know until after my procedure on Wed for the stent removal/repalcement.

I will let you know what happens then.

Vonnie

#7

Hi, Vonnie–

My first stent occluded pretty quickly and had to be removed in an emergency admission and ERCP. They got too scared to do another one, so instead they tried ballooning, then Botox (not done too may places) and then just started doing sphincterotomies and cutting the ducts open. Eventually it looks like they stayed open. I understand that most people have the opposite problem-- keeping them from being too dilated. Mine kept closing up and not letting stuff through.

I wish you all the best and hope you’re doing better soon!

Hugs, love and prayers,

Lisa