The treatment for pancreatitis depends on whether it is acute or chronic, and on the severity of the condition. For acute pancreatitis:
- Hospital admission is typically needed for supportive care, including intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration, pain relief often with strong painkillers, oxygen if needed, and sometimes antibiotics if infection is suspected.
- Removing the underlying cause is important. For example, if gallstones cause pancreatitis, gallbladder removal surgery (cholecystectomy) or endoscopic removal of gallstones from the bile duct (ERCP) may be performed.
- Nutrition is gradually reintroduced, starting with no food by mouth and then progressing as tolerated, sometimes using feeding tubes.
For chronic pancreatitis:
- The main treatment is conservative and focuses on lifestyle changes such as complete abstinence from alcohol and smoking cessation.
- Pain management is crucial, using analgesics or nerve blocks.
- Enzyme replacement therapy helps digestion if the pancreas is not producing enough enzymes.
- Blood sugar control may be needed if diabetes develops.
- Surgery may be required if there are complications such as strictures, cysts, or severe pain not controlled by other treatments. Options include pancreatic duct drainage, resection, or even total pancreatectomy with islet cell transplantation in extreme cases.
In all cases, identifying and treating the underlying cause (e.g., alcohol use, gallstones) is important to prevent recurrence or worsening of pancreatitis.
