Affordable & Expert Chronic Pancreatitis Treatment in India

Affordable & expert chronic pancreatitis treatment in India with GetWellGo. World-class care, trusted specialists & personalized support for international patients.

Affordable & Expert Chronic Pancreatitis Treatment in India

Chronic Pancreatitis Treatment in India

Chronic pancreatitis is persistent inflammation of the pancreas which results in irreversible damage, scarring and eventual functional loss. The primary objectives of treatment include pain management, enhancement of digestion, treatment of complications, and avoidance of additional pancreatic damage.

The Chronic Pancreatitis Treatment is as follows:

Lifestyle Modifications

  • Limit alcohol by all means - alcohol is the most widespread trigger of exacerbation and development.
  • Stop smoking- smoking aggravates the damage of the pancreas.
  • Eat a healthy and low-fat diet, with small meals several times a day.
  • Also, keep yourself hydrated to aid digestion and health.

Medications

Pain management:

  • Light pain: paracetamol, NSAIDs.
  • Severe pain: opioids (medical care).
  • Adjuncts: tricyclic antidepressants, nerve-related pain with the use of gabapentin.

Pancreatic enzyme supplements (ex: pancrelipase):

  • Assist with the digestive process and decrease steatorrhea (fatty stools).
  • Sometimes also reduce pain.

Insulin therapy:

  • In case diabetes occurs under the influence of the harm to the pancreas.
  • Antioxidants (in part): can be helpful in reducing oxidative stress and pain.

Endoscopic Procedures

  • Indicated where the pancreatic ducts are obstructed by stones or strictures.
  • ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) and stents.
  • Lithotripsy or removal of stones in the ducts of the pancreas.
  • Pseudocysts drainage in case of its presence.

Surgery

  • Reflects on whether the pain is acute and other treatment fails to manage it, or complications arise.
  • Removal of some pancreatic tissue (Pancreatic resection).
  • Pancreaticojejunostomy (Puestow procedure): alleviates the ductal pressure.
  • Complete pancreatectomy with islet autograft (in some rare instances).

Nutritional Support

  • Consult a dietician to eliminate malnutrition.
  • Supplementation with vitamins (fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K) in case of absorption defects.
  • Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are possibly easier to digest.

Complications Monitoring and Management

  • Diabetes – controlled using insulin.
  • Malabsorption -pancreatic enzymes + nutrition plan.
  • Risk of pancreatic cancer- increased in chronic pancreatitis; frequent follow-up can be recommended.
  • Gallstones, pseudo cyst, bile duct blockage, - can be subject to intervention.

Best Hospitals for Chronic Pancreatitis in India

Factors Affecting Chronic Pancreatitis Surgery Cost in India

The following are some of the key determinants influencing the cost of surgery of chronic pancreatitis in India:

Surgical procedure type

  • The complexity, time and resource requirement of various operations vary considerably. This is possible with lateral pancreaticojejunostomy (Puestow), distal pancreatectomy, Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy), total pancreatectomy, etc. Greater resections / reconstructions are more expensive.
  • When laparoscopic/robotic or minimally invasive approaches are applied instead of open surgery, then it is more likely to be more expensive. 

Complexity of the case

  • Disease severity: e.g. degree of scarring / calcifications, invasion of adjacent structures (e.g. ducts, vessels, neighboring organs).
  • Complications present: pseudocysts, infection, obstruction of the bile duct, possible malignancy. These could also mean more labor and time and more attention. 
  • Comorbidities (diabetes, malnutrition, etc.) that are pre-existing and are at risk of augmenting the risk and requiring more monitoring / ICU stay.

Hospital / surgeon factors

  • Type of hospital: government, non-profit, corporate/non-profit hospitals. Private premium hospitals are more likely to be exorbitant when it comes to the room rates, surgeon fee, infrastructure.
  • Location / city: the metro cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai etc) are highly costly compared to small cities or towns. There are real estate, staffing, logistics.
  • Surgeon experience and speciality: A very specialized surgeon or one who has an additional training in hepatobiliary / GI surgery might charge a greater fee.

Technology & equipment used

  • Application of high-tech imaging (pre-op CT, MRI/MRCP, endoscopic ultrasound).
  • Specialized tools, staplers, robotics, laparoscopy etc.
  • ICU assistance, ventilators etc as necessary. The further developed the tech / monitoring the more expensive.

Hospital stay and post-operative services

  • ICU stay vs regular ward. The number of days in the hospital increases room + board + nursing staff + allied care.
  • Post-operative care (nutrition, physiotherapy, pain management).
  • Post-operative complications (infection, leakage, sluggish gastric emptying etc) that increase the duration of stay or necessitate further procedures.

Premedical and post-operative research 

  • Lab tests, imageries, pre-operative clearance (cardiac, pulmonary etc).
  • Follow-ups, medicines, pancreatic replacement in case of need of insulin. These recurrent expenses are cumulative.

Medications & consumables

  • Anaesthetic expenditure, operating supplies (staplers, drains, sutures etc).
  • Medications needed in the operating room and the post-operative period (painkillers, antibiotics, enzyme supplement, insulin, etc).

Indirect & ancillary costs

  • Travel of patient, accommodation (in case of travelling to another city), patient and family food.
  • Maintenance of lost income.

Top Doctors for Chronic Pancreatitis in India

  • Dr. M A Mir
  • Dr. Pawan Rawal
  • Dr. Randhir Sud
  • Dr. Gourdas Choudhuri
  • Prof. Dr. Subhash Gupta

Advanced Chronic Pancreatitis Treatment in India

Advanced / newer / experimental treatment in chronic pancreatitis (CP) is given here, particularly in refractory patients to usual medical, dietary and endoscopic therapy. These are to achieve improved pain management, maintain/correct pancreatic functioning and enhance life quality.

Meaning of Advanced Treatment in CP?

These are interventions other than the simple management (lifestyle, enzyme replacement, routine pain management, endoscopy). They are applied when the illness is serious, the pain is non-removable, or the functional loss is considerable, or the complications.

State-of-the-Art / New Treatment Alternatives:

Endotherapy enhancements

  • Biodegradable ductal stricture/ obstruction stents. 
  • Intraductal lithotripsy (lithotripsy done within the duct) with pancreatoscopy versus ESWL. 
  • Celiac plexus/ nerve block with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to decrease the pain.

Refined new combinations of surgical procedures

  • Frey procedure (drainage +<|human|>Frey procedure (drainage + limited resection of pancreatic head). 
  • Surgical drainage at an early stage (e.g. prior to the severe ductal dilation / prior to functional loss) can be more effective in the long-term. 
  • Total pancreatectomy and islet autotransplantation (TPIAT): excise a large portion (or entire) of pancreas to alleviate pain, then isolate the own islet cells of the patient and implant them to the liver to keep producing insulin.

Genetic / Molecular / diagnostic Advances

  • Idiopathic chronic pancreatitis genetic testing to determine certain mutations (e.g. PRSS1, SPINK1, CFTR, etc.) that might affect the choice of treatment or prognosis. 
  • Innovations in imaging: elastography (to estimate fibrosis), MRCP based computational modelling of estimation of pancreatic duct pressure etc. 
  • Better methods of biopsy, e.g. fine needle biopsy or contrast-enhanced harmonic EUS to differentiate between autoimmune pancreatitis and cancer.

Drug / adjunct therapies

  • Some trials have investigated the use of antioxidant therapy and statins (e.g. simvastatin) to suppress oxidative stress and inflammation. 
  • Neuromodulatory opioid agonists. Starting more custom antidepressants, gabapentinoids, etc.
  • Potentially under research agents which would regulate fibrosis, alleviate ductal hypertension etc.

Specific treatment for Autoimmune pancreatitis

  • Where CP is complicated by autoimmune processes: steroids, immunomodulators, bile ducts stenting where necessary.

Factors Affecting Affordable Chronic Pancreatitis Surgery in India

Here are the key factors that affect how affordable chronic pancreatitis surgery can be in India:

  • Ask for Package Pricing
  • Opt for Basic / Standard Room, Generic Medications
  • Minimize “Extras”
  • Prehabilitation
  • Transparency
  • Timing

Chronic Pancreatitis Treatment in India with GetWellGo

GetWellGo is regarded as a leading supplier of healthcare services. We help our foreign clients choose the best treatment locations that suit their needs both financially and medically.

We offer:

  • Complete transparency
  • Fair costs.
  • 24 hour availability.
  • Medical E-visas
  • Online consultation from recognized Indian experts.
  • Assistance in selecting India's top hospitals for Chronic Pancreatitis treatment.
  • Expert gastroenterologists with a strong track record of success
  • Assistance during and after the course of treatment.
  • Language Support
  • Travel and Accommodation Services
  • Case manager assigned to every patient to provide seamless support in and out of the hospital like appointment booking
  • Local SIM Cards
  • Currency Exchange
  • Arranging Patient’s local food

 

Recent Blogs