The pancreas is one of the most vital organs in the human body. Located in the upper part of the abdominal cavity, the pancreas plays a direct role in the digestion of food, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, thanks to the enzymes it produces. This organ also participates in the hormonal production of the body, forming insulin, which controls blood sugar levels. An insufficient amount of hormones can disrupt all metabolic processes in the body, limiting the intake of beneficial substances. This imbalance negatively affects the functioning of the pancreas, leads to pressure on organs and vessels, and provokes various malignant formations and tumors.
Causes
Diverse factors can contribute to inflammatory processes and diseases of the pancreas. Many specialists associate the onset of these diseases with neuro-emotional disorders, stress, fright, etc. Various past injuries, hematomas, infectious diseases, and intoxications of varying severity can also be the cause of diseases. Improper nutrition and disproportionate food intake can also provoke disturbances in the pancreas. Insufficient production of enzymes and insulin can lead to the development of pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus, and cancerous tumors (Insulin, gastrin, carcinoid tumors).
Diagnosis of Pancreatic Diseases in Israel
The manifestation of all pancreatic diseases is typical, and the symptoms are quite similar to each other. Inflammatory processes can be slow-moving and take on a chronic form, or they can noticeably exacerbate, which leads the patient to a specialist doctor.
Common symptoms for all pancreatic diseases include:
- acute or moderate pain, characterized by circular localization, often in the right or left upper part of the abdominal cavity, radiating to the back and lower back;
- decreased appetite, weight loss;
- nausea, vomiting, general weakness of the body.
Ichilov clinic specialists easily identify various pancreatic diseases thanks to the latest and advanced diagnostic methods.
The main methods for detecting pathologies at the Sourasky Medical Center are:
- Blood test for glucose and amylase level determination
- Ultrasound of the pancreas, liver, bile ducts (determines changes in the size of the gland, checks for cysts, size of the duct);
- CT;
- Secretin-pancreozymin test;
To detect pancreatic cancer, the clinic uses the following diagnostic methods:
- Blood test for pancreatic cancer marker CA 19-9
- CT or MRI of the pancreas;
- Ultrasound of the pancreas, liver, bile ducts;
- Cholangiopancreatography (the most detailed study of the pancreatic system).
Treatment of Pancreatic Diseases in Israel
Pancreatic lesions are generally caused by acute pancreatitis and are best treated through surgical intervention. The growth of cancerous tumors in the pancreas can be caused by chronic pancreatitis, and this issue is also successfully addressed surgically at Ichilov clinic.
Surgical interventions at the Sourasky Medical Center include the following procedures:
- Laparoscopy with intra-abdominal ultrasound;
- Whipple procedure;
- Biopsy of gland and lymph node tissues (determines maximum surgical boundaries for optimal tumor removal);
- Resection with spleen removal (removes part of the pancreas, duodenum, and stomach; the operation is performed in the most complex cases);
- Palliative surgery (relieves bile flow into the digestive tract, temporarily alleviates the patient's condition)