Motion – Pancreatic Endoscopy is Useful for the Pain of Chronic Pancreatitis: Arguments Against the Motion

Endoscopic therapy can be used to dilate strictures in the pancreatic duct, remove stones and drain pseudocysts. In addition, it provides an alternative to surgery for the management of pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Pain is a difficult problem in these patients, especially if substance...

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Main Author: Darwin L Conwell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2003-01-01
Series:Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2003/821652
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author Darwin L Conwell
author_facet Darwin L Conwell
author_sort Darwin L Conwell
collection DOAJ
description Endoscopic therapy can be used to dilate strictures in the pancreatic duct, remove stones and drain pseudocysts. In addition, it provides an alternative to surgery for the management of pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Pain is a difficult problem in these patients, especially if substance abuse is present, and its medical management is generally unsatisfactory. The concept that pancreatic pain is related to increased pressure in the main pancreatic duct is unproven, and is not supported by the results of surgical intervention. Although pancreatic stenting is often technically successful at achieving drainage of the pancreatic duct and relieving pain over the short term, pain usually recurs with time, complications are frequent, and repeated stent changes are usually necessary. Pancreatic pseudocysts can be drained endoscopically, using transpapillary, cystogastrostomy or cystoduodenostomy approaches, but success rates are less than 50% and bleeding is a major complication. Pseudocysts should not be drained unless they are symptomatic, causing complications or enlarging. There have been no published studies comparing endoscopic with surgical or radiological modalities. Endoscopic therapy of pancreatic disorders is a new and interesting technique, but initial promising results need to be confirmed in large, well-designed clinical trials. Such studies would need to enrol large numbers of patients, and involve measurement of technical success, pain severity and quality of life parameters. At present, endoscopic techniques must be considered experimental.
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spelling doaj-art-2d01cd50b8094b6382db9830dc0726472025-08-20T02:24:18ZengWileyCanadian Journal of Gastroenterology0835-79002003-01-01171616310.1155/2003/821652Motion – Pancreatic Endoscopy is Useful for the Pain of Chronic Pancreatitis: Arguments Against the MotionDarwin L Conwell0Department of Gastroenterology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USAEndoscopic therapy can be used to dilate strictures in the pancreatic duct, remove stones and drain pseudocysts. In addition, it provides an alternative to surgery for the management of pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Pain is a difficult problem in these patients, especially if substance abuse is present, and its medical management is generally unsatisfactory. The concept that pancreatic pain is related to increased pressure in the main pancreatic duct is unproven, and is not supported by the results of surgical intervention. Although pancreatic stenting is often technically successful at achieving drainage of the pancreatic duct and relieving pain over the short term, pain usually recurs with time, complications are frequent, and repeated stent changes are usually necessary. Pancreatic pseudocysts can be drained endoscopically, using transpapillary, cystogastrostomy or cystoduodenostomy approaches, but success rates are less than 50% and bleeding is a major complication. Pseudocysts should not be drained unless they are symptomatic, causing complications or enlarging. There have been no published studies comparing endoscopic with surgical or radiological modalities. Endoscopic therapy of pancreatic disorders is a new and interesting technique, but initial promising results need to be confirmed in large, well-designed clinical trials. Such studies would need to enrol large numbers of patients, and involve measurement of technical success, pain severity and quality of life parameters. At present, endoscopic techniques must be considered experimental.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2003/821652
spellingShingle Darwin L Conwell
Motion – Pancreatic Endoscopy is Useful for the Pain of Chronic Pancreatitis: Arguments Against the Motion
Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology
title Motion – Pancreatic Endoscopy is Useful for the Pain of Chronic Pancreatitis: Arguments Against the Motion
title_full Motion – Pancreatic Endoscopy is Useful for the Pain of Chronic Pancreatitis: Arguments Against the Motion
title_fullStr Motion – Pancreatic Endoscopy is Useful for the Pain of Chronic Pancreatitis: Arguments Against the Motion
title_full_unstemmed Motion – Pancreatic Endoscopy is Useful for the Pain of Chronic Pancreatitis: Arguments Against the Motion
title_short Motion – Pancreatic Endoscopy is Useful for the Pain of Chronic Pancreatitis: Arguments Against the Motion
title_sort motion pancreatic endoscopy is useful for the pain of chronic pancreatitis arguments against the motion
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2003/821652
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