markssis2

My brother is having his fifth ERCP next week. From his experiences, the Doctor who does the stent placement makes all the difference! His local doctor could only fit one stent in and also caused him to get pancreatitis after the first procedure. The doctor at UCLA was able to fit two stents in with no problems and he felt great for almost two months. Because of a mix-up with scheduling, he went back to his local doctor to have the stents replaced. The local doctor assured him that if he had any trouble, he would contact the Dr at UCLA. Well, he could only get one stent in and he didn’t call for help. My brother got yellower and sicker until he could get an appointment with the Doctor at UCLA, who put two stents in with no problems. He also said that stents have a limited “stent life” when one is going through radiation and/or chemo. He advised my brother to have his stents replaced (at UCLA!) every six weeks. I believe that his stents are plastic because they are wider than the metal ones, but I will double-check that. Keeping you and your brother in my thoughts, Peggy! Sis