Pancreas Center
A Leader in Diagnosing and Treating Pancreatitis
We specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of acute (sudden) and chronic (long-lasting) pancreatitis, as well as other pancreatic disorders.
Patients with unexplained upper abdominal pain come to us for answers. We help stop the frustrating cycle of endless testing. We provide a definitive diagnosis, and create a thoughtful treatment plan to restore quality of life.
Conditions We Treat
The Pancreas Center specializes in treating a range of pancreatic diseases and conditions, including:
- Chronic pancreatitis, or upper abdominal pain thought to be pancreatitis
- Acute pancreatitis (strikes suddenly)
- Autoimmune pancreatitis (when the body's immune system attacks its own pancreas)
- Pancreatitis associated with mutations in the gene causing cystic fibrosis (an inherited disease that affects the pancreas and other organs that secrete fluids and mucus)
- Genetic testing for pancreatic disease
- Pancreatic cancer (pancreatic adenocarcinoma)
- Cysts in the pancreas (sac-like structures that can be either benign, cancerous, or somewhere in between)
- Pancreas divisum (a variation in the way the ducts connect to the pancreas), or other pancreatic abnormalities present at birth
- Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (when a spasm in the sphincter, or muscle, prevents pancreatic juices from emptying, leading to inflammation)
Pancreatic Cancer
We are part of the team of experts at BIDMC who treat pancreatic cancer. We work together with colleagues in the Pancreatic Cancer Program to provide multidisciplinary, patient- and family-centered diagnostics and treatment.
BIDMC offers advanced, minimally invasive surgical treatment, including robot-assisted surgery, and access to investigational therapies through clinical trials. Each year, our surgeons perform more than 160 major pancreatic operations, placing the medical center among the top five medical centers in the nation for pancreatic surgical volume.
Additional Services
- Screening for patients who do not have, but are at high risk for, pancreatic cancer
- Surveillance for patients with a family or personal history of pancreatic cancer
- Nutritional and lifestyle counseling regarding living with pancreatic disease
- Management of complications associated with prior pancreatic surgery