Without the pancreas, fat passes right through body

Question: I am 57 and generally in good health. My doctor diagnosed me with chronic pancreatitis, after I had weight loss with diarrhea, and was found to have fat in my stool. The CT scan showed that I have a 12-mm stone blocking my pancreatic duct. He said I have chronic pancreatitis. My doctor says I need surgery to remove the stone.

Is this a life-or-death surgery? Is there another way to get rid of the stone? — C.H.

Answer: Chronic pancreatitis is a relatively common condition, but sometimes can go for a long time without being diagnosed. The presence of fat in the stool is a big clue to the diagnosis: Patients may notice that their stools seem oily, and it might take multiple flushes of the toilet to completely remove it. The diarrhea happens because the pancreatic enzymes are necessary for the body to absorb fat: Without the pancreas, the fat passes all the way through the body, causing fatty diarrhea, called steatorrhea. Many people have abdominal pain, sometimes episodic, but at least 20 percent of people have none.

There are many causes of chronic pancreatitis. Chronic alcohol abuse is the most common cause that I saw in my training, but obstruction of the pancreatic duct by stone or tumor is another. Unfortunately, removing the stone might not stop the pancreatitis: In many people, the changes in the pancreas from longstanding obstruction are irreversible. Nonetheless, I wholeheartedly agree with removing the cause of the obstruction.

There are several approaches to removing a pancreatic stone, including endoscopic removal, laser treatment and shockwave lithotripsy (using soundwaves to break up the stone). Only your treating physician can say what the best treatment for you is.