ust returned from surgeons office, ordered blood work and an MRI, should I have brought up the ERCP, concerned about the pancreatitis. All I know is my sternum is so tight right now I am having trouble breathing. He also said, I just might be having a hard time recovering and I need to relax, I am not buying that. Thoughts?
Just returned from surgeons office, ordered blood work and an MRI, should I have brought up the ERCP, concerned about the pancreatitis. All I know is my sternum is so tight right now I am having trouble breathing. He also said, I just might be having a hard time recovering and I need to relax, I am not buying that. Thoughts?
Sludge can be VERY difficult to see, and it might need a very experienced radiologist to find it, unfortunately, since it may only be in small amounts. It would be seen in the u/s, when it is seen. Only your doc can tell you whether or not you need an ERCP, so you need to discuss the whole situation with him/her.
Thank you for all your comments, they are greatly appreciated. So frustrated.
Wouldn't sludge show up on an ultrasound or MRI, I had each of those prior to the surgery. Is this the reason some people have to have a drain after surgery?
Do I need an ERCP?
Had a long weekend, waves of nausea, chills, occasional sharp pain in chest and upper back, pretty consistent low back pain and overall fatigue. Have a call into the surgeon, something is definitely not right. Watching my diet super carefully. Feels scary to eat at this point. My primary prescribed Bentyl before I had my surgery, I started taking it again on Saturday, seems to provide temporary relief of the shooting pains. Trying not to get too anxious about the whole thing, which is definitely hard.
Sorry. CBD is the common bile duct. Sludge can irritate and cause problems in the CBD.
It's not too soon to call your doc although you may not get a warm reception. You may be told your still in the recovery period, or 'these things take time,' etc., but please be pushy. Make sure your doc does liver and pancreatic enzyme level blood tests and really listens to what you're say. It is possible for you biliary tract to spasm, or for the sphincter to spasm, or for you to have had sludge which could cause problems is the CBD.
In the meantime, please follow a low fat diet - as low as you can handle. Hopefully, it will give you a hand.