Pancreas

The Endocrinologists’ Role in Caring for TPIAT Patients
The Endocrinologists’ Role in Caring for TPIAT Patients 1024 500 Lauren Dembeck
illustrated cross section of islets from pancreas

Children with recurrent acute or chronic pancreatitis often suffer debilitating pain and may endure an impaired quality of life. They may be frequently admitted to the hospital, disrupting their daily routines and activities. Patients may undergo medical and endoscopic interventions for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes and may be offered surgical interventions. Total pancreatectomy with…

NIDDK Grant Awarded to Launch Integrated Islet Distribution Program Islet Isolation Center
NIDDK Grant Awarded to Launch Integrated Islet Distribution Program Islet Isolation Center 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

A Nationwide Children’s Hospital research team has received federal funding to become a hub for the isolation and distribution of high-quality human islet cells for the diabetes research community. Since joining Nationwide Children’s Hospital in 2022 as director of the Islet Cell Isolation Program, Balamurugan Appakalai, PhD, has been leading one of the nation’s most…

Robotic Approach to Rare Case Leads to Best Possible Outcome
Robotic Approach to Rare Case Leads to Best Possible Outcome 1024 683 Emily Siebenmorgen

A rare tumor in a child from Greece is resolved by robotic spleen-sparing distal pancreatectomy. Hospital visits can feel like a foreign experience for anyone, especially so when your hospital is actually in another country. But eight-year-old Evangelia felt especially at home after traveling to Nationwide Children’s Hospital from Greece for her care. Evangelia’s first…

NASPGHAN: New Guidance for Surgical Procedure Selection in Pediatric Chronic Pancreatitis
NASPGHAN: New Guidance for Surgical Procedure Selection in Pediatric Chronic Pancreatitis 899 450 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Informed, multispecialty decision-making is essential to give children with chronic pancreatitis the best chance for long-term pain relief and improved quality of life, according to new guidance issued by the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition.   Chronic pancreatitis has long been an underappreciated and underrecognized condition in children. Now, a NASPGHAN…

First Multicenter, Prospective Study of Surgical Approach and Short-term Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Total Pancreatectomy With Islet Autotransplantation
First Multicenter, Prospective Study of Surgical Approach and Short-term Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Total Pancreatectomy With Islet Autotransplantation 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

The goal of the prospective study is to critically evaluate current clinical practices to determine which should be adopted or abandoned. It will also provide an opportunity to evaluate patients’ quality of life after total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation.   For children and adults with debilitating pancreatitis that fails to respond to medical and endoscopic…

Chronic Pediatric Pancreatitis and (No) Persistent Belly Pain
Chronic Pediatric Pancreatitis and (No) Persistent Belly Pain 1024 575 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Underlying — even silent — chronic pancreatitis can be at play in children without previous acute pancreatitis episodes, including among children with little or no reported pain. Pancreatitis in children is rare (about 3-13 per 100,000 people per year), but diagnosis is increasing, at least in part due to increased awareness among physicians. The path…