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The pancreas is a very important organ located in the upper abdomen, behind the stomach. It is the organ that produces insulin, which is an important hormone. The shortage of insulin leads to diabetes. The pancreas also produces digestive enzymes which are then secreted into the small intestine to digest the food that we eat, so that our intestine can absorb the nutrients.
Pancreatitis refers to the inflammation of the pancreas. This can either be acute or chronic.
Acute Pancreatitis Is the sudden inflammation of the pancreas. This condition is characterized by
sudden severe upper abdominal pain. This pain may radiate to the back and may last for several days. The person may find that the pain is relieved by leaning forward or sitting up. Along with this acute intense pain, the person may also experience some of the following symptoms:
Chronic Pancreatitis is characterized by recurrent attacks of upper abdominal pain and back pain. This is the hallmark of this condition. The pain is not sudden in nature but is ongoing. The person may find that eating food can trigger or worsen the pain.
The person may also experience nausea and vomiting.
Due to the poor appetite and malabsorption of nutrients, because of reduced production of digestive enzymes, this person may suffer from malnutrition.
With gradual destruction of the pancreas, this person may develop diabetes mellitus.
Common symptoms of diabetes are:
The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis is confirmed through a blood test. The doctor will check the amylase level as well as the lipase level. In acute pancreatitis, the amylase level and the lipase level will be raised.
Scans like CT scan will also show the pancreas to be swollen in acute pancreatitis.
For chronic pancreatitis, because of recurrent acute attacks of inflammation, the blood tests may be normal, as the pancreas becomes increasingly damaged and slowly loses its functions. CT scan may show a shrunken pancreas. The pancreas may also have calcification within it.
Acute pancreatitis is an emergency. Whilst most people with acute pancreatitis recover by themselves, about 20% of acute pancreatitis can go down a severe course and may lead to multi-organ failure and even death.
Treatment therefore is to resuscitate and support the person until the attack resolves. If the person is very ill, ICU care may be needed.
Once the person is better, the focus then turns to finding out the underlying cause of the acute pancreatitis.
Definitive treatment of the underlying cause is important to prevent another attack of acute pancreatitis and to prevent the progression to chronic pancreatitis.
The 2 most common causes of acute pancreatitis are:
If it is due to gallstones, we will advise the person to consider removing the gallbladder.
If it is due to alcohol, the person should consider cutting down or stopping alcohol drinking altogether.
Other less frequent causes are:
Avoiding standing still for long periods will reduce the pressure in the veins in the legs. For people who need to stand for long periods at work, wearing compression stockings will reduce the pressure build up in the legs.
The ultrasound will be done of the legs from the thigh to the calves. Please wear or bring along a pair of shorts to change into for the scan.
Established in 2010, Nexus Surgical set out to provide safe, evidence-based, cost-effective surgical services. Our surgeons’ diverse expertise enables us to cater to a wide range of general to complex surgical conditions, from diagnosis to treatment.
Established in 2010, Nexus Surgical set out to provide safe, evidence-based, cost-effective surgical services. Our surgeons’ diverse expertise enables us to cater to a wide range of general to complex surgical conditions, from diagnosis to treatment.
Mount Elizabeth Medical Clinic:
(65) 6235 8633
Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre:
(65) 6570 2720
Mount Alvernia Hospital Medical Centre A:
(65) 6353 4855
Parkway East Medical Centre:
(65) 6440 4866
Monday – Friday : 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Saturday: 9:00AM – 1:00PM
Sunday & PH : Closed
Emergency 24hr contact number:
(65) 6333 5550