Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, a large gland located behind the stomach and close to the upper part of the small intestine. The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestine through a tube called the pancreatic duct. These enzymes help digest the fats, proteins and carbohydrates in food. The pancreas also releases the hormones insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. These hormones help the body use the glucose it derives from food for energy.

When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the digestive enzymes attack the tissue that produces them. This can lead to tissue damage and bleeding as well as causing the pancreas blood cells and blood vessels to swell.

Pancreatitis has two stages — acute and chronic. Most cases of acute pancreatitis are mild and involve a short hospital stay for the pancreas to recover completely. Chronic pancreatitis is a much more persistent condition that occurs more often in men than women. This condition may increase your chances for developing pancreatic cancer.

Vejthani GI Center is one of the few hospitals in the world offering an advanced procedure known as an islet autotransplant, coupled with a pancreatectomy, to patients with severe chronic pancreatitis. This innovative procedure is the first of its kind; it helps alleviate the pain caused by chronic pancreatitis, while preserving a patients ability to secrete insulin and reducing their risk of developing surgically-induced diabetes.

Both types of pancreatitis can cause serious complications. In severe cases, bleeding, tissue damage, infection and cysts may develop. In addition, enzymes and toxins also may enter the bloodstream, injuring the heart, lungs, kidneys or other organs.

Conditions and Treatments

Pancreatitis has two stages -- acute and chronic.


           • Acute pancreatitis affects about 80,000 Americans annually and occurs suddenly after the pancreas is damaged. Some patients may have more than one attack, but typically recover after each one. About 20 percent of cases are severe, leading to heart, lung or kidney failure. In the most severe cases, bleeding can occur in the pancreas, resulting in shock and sometimes death. Although the cause of the condition is sometimes unknown, it usually results from gallstones or alcohol abuse. Other less common causes of this condition include excessive levels of fat particles in the blood, mumps, drugs and surgery. In addition, pancreatitis can be heredity.

           • Chronic pancreatitis begins as acute pancreatitis and becomes chronic when irreversible scarring of the pancreas occurs. There are a number of things that increase a person's risk of developing this condition, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, genetic factors and other conditions or traumatic events that injure the pancreas. The pancreas may eventually stop producing the enzymes necessary for your body to digest and absorb nutrients. In its advanced stages, the disease can cause the pancreas to lose its ability to produce insulin.