Surgery for Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction

[Sarsi]

Hi All!

I had my gallbladder removed lap in Dec 09, since then I have had continuing daily pain, diarrhea and nausea.....after the usual barrage of tests and scans over the next 2 years, I finally came up with the diagnosis of Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction.

I had an ERCP at the end of September with a sphincterotomy (not pancreatic sphincter) which gave me several weeks of relief, then very quickly came back to the level of what I was like before (needing admitting to hospital for several days at a time with flare-ups)....

I am now looking at surgical options, as pain management is not working succesfully for me....either a sphincteroplasty or a choledochoduodenostomy (biliary bypass).....

My question is, does anybody know about or have had these done and the success rates....I have read that if you've had a sphincterotomy before, a sphincteroplasty may not be successful either.....and Im thinking about the larger bypass surgery.....

I am a 33 yo mother to two toddlers and need to be there for them both mentally and physically.....I am otherwise perfectly healthy.....

Thanks for your insight

Sarah

[Sarsi]

Thankyou for responding to my post.

I have spoken to the specialist who conducted my original sphincterotomy. He does not feel that it is possible for it to have healed or scarred after only a few months, and that it takes years for this to happen.
How can this be??? Surgical cuts on my tummy, for example, only took a couple of weeks to scar......how can inside be different. For the record, I do have a couple of keloid scars.
That said, he was not prepared to go in again and look; and did not want to place a stent either.

Instead he has suggested that parts of my brain may be over stimulated and as such I should see a psychologist and use relaxation techniques.

I am really upset at this! It feels like a total cop-out; that he does not want to conduct any further procedures to attempt to help me and has placed me in a too hard basket! I also already take amitriptyline and gabapentin to try and control the pain this way, and to no noticeable benefit!

I am currently looking for a new liver/pancreas/biliary specialist that may be able to assist me. Does anybody know of any specialists in Australia that I could approach????

Please help! I can't live in this pain forever....I am only nearly 34 and requiring oxycodone and several other painkillers daily just to try and function normally for my kids!!!

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

A stent should be good option to keep the sphincter from closing as it heals. If tumors or stones blocking the duct have been ruled out, then the sphincterotomy with stent placement should help.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[Sarsi]

Well I saw my surgeon......

and he wants me to try another ercp with sphincterotomy and this time use a stent to keep the sphincter open while it heals......try the least invasive course of action first.....

So now it's back to the old waiting game!

[Sarsi]

Anybody?