Chronic pancreatitis

Professor John Windsor talks about chronic pancreatitis. John is a trained general surgeon who has had further fellowship training in hepato-biliary and pancreatic, gastro-oesophageal and laparoscopic surgery. He works at Auckland City Hospital and the University of Auckland. Privately he works at Mercy Hospital in Auckland and specialises in pancreatic, bilary, gastric and oesophageal surgery.

Topics

What is chronic pancreatitis and who gets it?
What do we need to think about from their history?
How is the diagnosis made?
What tests do we need to consider?
Red flags to consider.
Lifestyle management and pain relief.

Take home messages

Chronic pancreatitis is often misdiagnosed as non-specific abdominal pain.
Consider diagnosis in newly diagnosed diabetics.
Involve a pancreatic specialist early.
There is a high risk of cancer.
Don’t under estimate the psychological impact of a chronic disease – take a multi-disciplinary approach and include a dietician and a health psychologist.

Resources

Chronic pancreatitis The Lancet
Chronic pancreatitis: Negotiating the complexities of diagnosis and management
Chronic pancreatitis Health Navigator NZ patient resources

Patient Resources

Presenter

Professor John Windsor

General Surgeon

To contact John Click here.

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The Goodfellow Unit podcast is funded in part by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.