sphincter of oddi dysfunction?

Anyone else here hear of this?  Its common in a lot of people who have had their gallbladders removed.  Now I do have GERD as well, but I have been having terrible right sided pain since having my GB out last August.   My GI dr says I definately have this.  He is very, very hesitant though to do an ERCP since the risks sometimes outweigh the benefits.  He is concerned that I would develop pancreatitis and given my health history that would definately not be a good thing.

Now I trust my GI-he's ranked one of the top 10 in the country.  However, I don't want to be in pain the rest of my life either.  Are there other ways to treat this condition?  Any medications that can help?  Any websites I can check out?  I just don't know where else to turn.  I see my GI again the end of the month and I want to be prepared for this visit.  Thanks

Nancy

Nal,

I'm a 46 yo female who didn't know how much her insides were affecting her life until the problems were resolved.

I had the ERCP with biliary sphincterotomy on February 28th. Yes, there are risks and it must be done by a VERY qualified doctor and technician. If your doctor is hesitant, then he must have a reason. My GI had no reservations about performing the procedure.

Back in October 2007 I had a full Nissen wrap. It stopped the reflux, but not the severe pain in my chest. All tests showed a healthy gallbladder - so it was not removed. The GI was sure the problem was related to the Sphincter of Oddi and scheduled the ERCP. We agreed that he would do the ERCP and while still inside he would decide if he would perform the sphincterotomy.

What he found was that the pressure in the bile duct was the highest he had ever seen or heard of. Where the sphincter opened into the intestines was torn - at some point, gallstones must have been present and torn it on the way through. He also found that the duct itself was extremely narrow - just the way my insides were made when things were forming. Bile was backing up and causing intense pain from the pressure. He cut the duct to relieve the pressure (sphincterotomy). Not doing anything would have eventually led to pancreas problems with all that biliary stuff backing up the duct back to the pancreas.

I was very nauseaus when I woke up from the procedure and in severe pain. The nausea took over a week to subside during which time I couldn't eat much and could only drink a little water each day. The GI was very concerned about the pancreas and sent me for blood tests to ensure it was OK - which it was. This procedure was the worst one for recovery I've ever experienced - I'd rather have childbirth twice with no drugs than experience the recovery for this procedure again.

I've got to say that at first I was thinking I made a mistake to have the procedure because the discomfort and nausea were so debilitating. But now, a month later, I'm so happy I did it. I can eat anything - former trigger foods no longer cause pain. I have a new lease on life and feel like I've been given a 2nd chance to live life to its fullest. I take no medication for acid reflux and have no symptoms of gallbladder-type pain. I was scared before the procedure because I was aware of the pancreas risks. My GI did ensure I was well-informed about risks and benefits. My comfort came when the GI informed me of the risks and I asked how many of the procedures he had done and how many had had complications. The answer was hundreds and none. I felt the odds were in my favor.

I know you said your GI is one of the top 10 in the country, but it may still be a good idea to get a 2nd opinion.