Successful pregnancy following partial pancreatectomy after complications from a laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding

Each year, increasing numbers of bariatric surgeries are being performed to reduce health risks related to obesity. The improvement in health for these patients has promoted an increase in the possibility of pregnancy for some woman. Because there are lifelong adjustments and the possibility of unique complications from bariatric surgery, pregnancy presents special nursing concerns. Very few cases have been identified in nursing literature discussing pregnancy after complications following a bariatric surgery. This article presents a successful pregnancy after a partial pancreatectomy was performed secondary to acute pancreatitis and ischemic enterocolitis as a complication of laparoscopic gastric banding.

Treatment for pancreatic cancer

Cancer of the pancreas is the fourth most common malignancy-induced cause of death in the United States. For patients with small primary tumors, surgery may produce long-term survival. However, because most patients are not diagnosed early, chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be beneficial. Combined modality therapies are under investigation and may prolong survival.

Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy procedures in a rural hospital

Laparoscopic surgical procedures are replacing traditional, more invasive surgical procedures--even in small, rural hospitals. During a period of 12 months, the authors performed laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy procedures on two patients at a 20-bed hospital in North Dakota. Although surgeons in other countries have reported performing laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy procedures, this is the first published report of a US surgical team performing this procedure. Laparoscopic dissection of the distal pancreas allows preservation of patients' spleens, decreases postoperative pain and length of hospitalization, and permits patients to return to activities of daily living more quickly than with traditional open pancreatectomy procedures.

Needs and care of patients undergoing subtotal pancreatectomy for cancer

Charts of 45 patients, who underwent subtotal pancreatectomy for cancer, at the University Hospital in Lund, over a 5-year period, were reviewed. The aim was to determine how the patients' symptoms and needs were assessed and cared for as documented by medical and nursing professionals. Data were collected on 107 items of interest for nursing care. The symptoms the patients experienced had consequences on many aspects of their lives. Basic functions, such as eating and elimination, were seriously disturbed before surgery, as well as after the first 3 weeks and 3 months. Pain and changes in sleeping pattern and in mood state were recorded for a majority of the patients. Due to inadequate notes the study cannot reveal the total care given to assist these patients with symptom control. However, certain insufficiencies could be found. The conclusion is that nurses can take a more active part in caring for patients with pancreatic cancer. By using assessment tools, and in cooperation with the surgeons, nurses can assist the patients with nutritional support, pain management, information and emotional support, as well as with physical training, leading to qualitative improvements in the lives of patients with pancreatic cancer.