The main function of the pancreas - a small organ of elongated form in the upper part of the abdominal cavity - is the secretion of digestive enzymes. This gland consists of tissues connected by small ducts, which carry pancreatic juice into the intestine.
Another of its purpose is the synthesis of hormones by a certain group of cells that do not have enzymatic ducts. The most important hormone produced by this body is insulin. When a gland is broken, a person develops a disease called "diabetes mellitus."
As you can see, the pancreas for humans is important. What can result in her absence in the body? Is it possible to remove the pancreas to the patient and provide him with a normal life?
Sometimes, without removal of the pancreas can not do, otherwise the death of the patient will be inevitable. Its functions can be violated for many reasons, but the main ones are: chronic alcoholism, smoking, abuse of very fatty foods. Some diseases and injuries can also provoke problems with the pancreas. And if in it there are various neoplasms passing into cancer, a partial or complete removal of the organ is necessary.
What will be the life of the patient after removal of the pancreas? The absence of such an important body, of course, has its consequences. After such an operation, a person all his life will have to eat according to certain rules, take enzymes and make injections of insulin. That is, what this healthy organ was carrying out, now it is necessary to fill it in other ways.
In the first week after removal of the body, the patient is prescribed a strict diet, starting with fasting. This diet is prescribed by a doctor who monitors its strict adherence. After discharge from the hospital, the patient is recommended a certain food, which is limited to spicy dishes and seasonings, potatoes and flour products, whole milk, coffee and sweets. Excluded from eating fried foods and products with coarse fiber. The diet is based on the consumption of predominantly protein foods and the maximum reduction in the amount of fats, carbohydrates and, of course, sugar.
Patients with a distant pancreas should take food 5-6 times a day in moderate portions. The daily volume of liquid should be 1.5-2 liters. To restore the body after a difficult operation, it is necessary to take vitamins and minerals.
Causes and indications for the removal of part of the pancreas
Surgical intervention for the treatment of the pancreas is indicated if the conservative treatment methods are ineffective. Such operations are characterized by increased complexity, traumatism and high mortality.
- Partial resection is indicated if diagnosed:
- Tumors, fistulas and pseudocysts.
- Malignant neoplasms in the tissues of the organ.
- Body trauma.
- Structural changes in the tissues of the organ.
- Exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis.
All excised tissues are sent to the laboratory for histology and pathology. Based on the results obtained, the tactics of postoperative treatment are built.
Pancreas head removal
According to statistics, in 80% of cases the pancreatic tumor is localized in its head. In case the tumor is operable, Whipple procedure is performed( pancreatoduodenal operation).It is carried out in two stages:
- Resection of the part in which the pathology and nearby organs were formed.
- Restoration of the digestive canal, gall bladder, ducts.
The patient is given general anesthesia. Access to the body is through small incisions. With the help of a laparoscope, the surgeon conducts a study of the region to be operated. The vessels feeding the gland are blocked and removed. In some cases, there is a need to remove the duodenum, gall bladder, part of the intestine, lymph nodes located side by side. To restore the digestive system, the surgeon forms internal connections of the body of the gland with the stomach and the central part of the small intestine.
A common postoperative complication is a violation of the absorption of nutrients due to a lack of digestive enzyme.
Pancreatic Tail Removal
When a formation is found in the tail of the pancreas, a partial dystral pancreotomy is performed. If the tumor spreads to the spleen, the spleen and its vessels are also removed during the operation. The rest of the pancreas is sutured along the cut line. The operation does not entail the development of diabetes and the violation of carbohydrate metabolism. The rehabilitation period is 14-20 days.