Pancreas Disease Program
If you’re struggling to find relief for unexplained abdominal pain, or known pancreatic or biliary disorders, contact the multi-disciplinary team of specialists at the Pancreas Disease Program. You’ll be evaluated by a team of doctors with experience in treating complex pancreas and biliary disorders. Our center offers decades of expertise in managing pancreatitis and its complications.
Our team is also dedicated to early detection of pancreatic cancer. We are using the latest techniques to provide regular monitoring and surveillance for patients who have increased risk factors. Additionally, our team established the Pancreas Review Board, where multiple pancreatic experts at Nebraska Medicine, including radiologists, surgeons, cancer specialists, researchers, and geneticists come together to review complex patient cases and collectively decide on the best plan of care to make sure that every angle and possible treatment option is fully explored. We are also participating in cutting-edge research aimed at diagnosing and treating pancreatic cancer far earlier than ever before.
Symptoms Our Patients Typically Have
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Diabetes
- Diarrhea which may contain fat or oil droplets
- Foul smelling gas
- Nausea or vomiting
- Painless jaundice
- Unintentional weight loss
We Provide You With:
A Team of Experts Who Specialize in Different Facets of Pancreas Diseases
Our doctors - Shailender Singh, MD, a gastroenterologist, Brian Boerner, MD, an endocrinologist, Luciano Vargas MD, and Shaheed Merani, MD, both pancreas surgeons - meet every Wednesday to focus on challenging pancreatic ailments. Our team - which includes nurse Sarah Ferguson and Coeta Hampton - meets with you and together we collectively diagnose and decide on treatments for difficult pancreas-related disorders. This collaborative effort among these doctors allows for efficient and comprehensive care. We also have other specialists who are available to see patients on an as-needed basis, including a social worker, dietitian and financial counselors.
One Place, One Appointment, One Team
No visiting multiple doctors spread over weeks of appointments in different buildings.
You book one appointment and only have to visit one patient room.
Our doctors and other clinical specialists all come to you. This helps doctors to combine their individual perspectives, leading to a single, focused approach to treating you. This methodology also guards against information and decisions by doctors in various places not meshing well, as they all receive the same information at the same time, and jointly agree on a plan for helping you. We also offer an on-site hotel if you are coming from out of town. Lodging can sometimes be covered by insurance.
The Ability to Evaluate You Very Soon
Call (402) 559-5008 for an appointment, or click the patient referral button above. We do our very best to call you back the same business day, and can normally get you in to see our specialists within two weeks of you reaching out to us. Once we meet with you, you can rest assured we follow up with you regularly.
Time
Our team routinely devotes an ample amount of time to meeting with you. We know you have complex questions and concerns and so we devote longer than average appointment times to learning about you and your story, to find a plan of care that works best.
Expertise
Our physicians have specialty training and experience in managing different pancreatobiliary disorders. Our team is devoted to and passionate about helping people with pancreatic diseases. Our center is also involved in conducting ongoing clinical research.
The Full Spectrum of Routine to Rare Surgeries on the Pancreas
We are the only health system in our region offering total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation. We also offer a full spectrum of endoscopic procedures in order to pinpoint and treat the cause of your pancreatitis pain. We also offer complicated surgical procedures, such as a whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy), puestow, and pancreatic resection as well as sophisticated laboratory tests and endoscopic interventions like endoscopic ultrasound and ERCP.
Now offering Rapid MRI procedure
Instead of a routine 45-minute MRI, you are in and out of our machine in 11 minutes. This allows us to be able to do a quick comparison MRI, in the case of many of our patients, who have already received at least one MRI previously.
We can break up your pancreatic stones without surgery
We are one of the few hospitals in Nebraska where you an receive a lithotripsy, which is an hour-long procedure we perform when you are asleep, where we use shock waves to break up your pancreatic stones. No incision is required, and once the stones are broken up, a stent is placed in the pancreas to allow the tiny pieces to pass into the intestines, where they are eliminated from the body. Patients normally have the procedure and go home the same day.
A Team of Specialists Beyond Doctors
Also supporting you in our clinic as necessary will be nurse coordinators, a nutrition specialist, a diabetes educator, a medical social worker and pharmacy counselor, all of whom work as a team on your case. We also have access to offsite pain specialists for our patients.
Financial Counseling
We are fully aware that a physical problem can often mean financial stress. To help you navigate the financial issues, we provide you with a dedicated financial services counselor.
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Accreditations and Awards
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska Blue Distinction Center+
Blue Distinction Centers and Blue Distinction Centers+ have a proven history of delivering exceptional care and results. Nebraska Medicine has been designated a Blue Distinction Center for adult pancreas and pancreatic cancer care.
National Pancreas Foundation
Nebraska Medicine was nationally recognized as a National Pancreas Foundation Center (NPF) by the National Pancreas Foundation – one of only 30 hospitals in the nation, and the only hospital in Nebraska to receive this prominent designation.
