Acute pancreatitis is a condition that develops when the pancreas is damaged by an inflammation that leads to swelling and sometimes to necrosis (death) of parts of the pancreas. In about 85% of patients, acute pancreatitis is a mild disease and is associated with a rapid recovery within a few days of onset of the illness.
In about 15-20% of patients, acute pancreatitis can lead to severe damage of the pancreas associated with the development of pancreatic necrosis (parts of the pancreas becomes dead).
Development of pancreatic necrosis often lead to a severe illness associated with an extended hospital stay, multiple surgical procedures and deaths have been reported in some 20% to 50% in this group of patients with pancreatitis.
Patients with severe acute pancreatitis are at risk for developing the following complications:
- Failure of multiple body organ systems such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidney
- Pancreatic necrosis (parts of the pancreas becomes dead)
- Infected pancreatic necrosis (infection of the dead pancreas)
- Pancreatic abscess
- Pseudocysts
- Pancreatic fistula
- Damage to surrounding organs such as small bowel, colon and duodenum by the inflammation
Speciality treatments for acute pancreatitis offered for Pancreatic and Biliary Diseases
- Team of pancreatic specialists from different subspecialties provide optimal care to patients with acute pancreatitis
- Specialized ICU care
- Laparoscopic surgery for pancreatic abscess, pancreatic necrosis and pseudocyst. One of the few centers in Singapore to offer these complex surgical procedures; our preferred approach for these condition is by laparoscopic surgery.
- Experience in open surgical drainage of pancreatic infection and necrosis
- Specialized endoscopic procedures for treatment of pseudocyst