Peter A. Banks – författare

It is with much pleasure that I introduce this first volume in a series of Topics in Gastroenterology aimed at the intelligent clinician. Dr. Peter Banks is first and foremost a clinician and teacher and therefore an ideal lead-off author. His very helpful review of pancreatitis is based not only on a thorough assimilation of clinical and experimental evidence but also on his long clinical practice in university hospitals and in private practice. Dr. Banks understands what we clinicians need to know about the patho­ physiology of this challenging disorder. I found much practical informa­ tion in this volume to help me in thinking about my own patients, and I recommend it with enthusiasm. Howard M. Spiro, M.D. vii Preface In the preparation of this book, I have made a special effort to provide detailed clinical information on the care of the patient with pancreatitis. The usefulness of newer diagnostic tests such as amylase/creatinine clearance ratio, ERCP, diagnostic ultrasound, and C-T scan has been carefully evaluated. Particular attention has been devoted to the manage­ ment of the more difficult therapeutic problems such as severe protracted pancreatitis, pancreatitis of unknown etiology, pancreatic pseudocyst, and pancreatic insufficiency. Points of controversy regarding medical and surgical alternatives in the treatment of acute and chronic pancreatitis have been reviewed with specific recommendations for therapy. In all discussions, emphasis has been placed on basic physiological principles that govern treatment. A comprehensive and current bibliography accom­ panies each chapter.

It is with much pleasure that I introduce this first volume in a series of Topics in Gastroenterology aimed at the intelligent clinician. Dr. Peter Banks is first and foremost a clinician and teacher and therefore an ideal lead-off author. His very helpful review of pancreatitis is based not only on a thorough assimilation of clinical and experimental evidence but also on his long clinical practice in university hospitals and in private practice. Dr. Banks understands what we clinicians need to know about the patho­ physiology of this challenging disorder. I found much practical informa­ tion in this volume to help me in thinking about my own patients, and I recommend it with enthusiasm. Howard M. Spiro, M.D. vii Preface In the preparation of this book, I have made a special effort to provide detailed clinical information on the care of the patient with pancreatitis. The usefulness of newer diagnostic tests such as amylase/creatinine clearance ratio, ERCP, diagnostic ultrasound, and C-T scan has been carefully evaluated. Particular attention has been devoted to the manage­ ment of the more difficult therapeutic problems such as severe protracted pancreatitis, pancreatitis of unknown etiology, pancreatic pseudocyst, and pancreatic insufficiency. Points of controversy regarding medical and surgical alternatives in the treatment of acute and chronic pancreatitis have been reviewed with specific recommendations for therapy. In all discussions, emphasis has been placed on basic physiological principles that govern treatment. A comprehensive and current bibliography accom­ panies each chapter.

As we began to plan this book about 10 years ago, we wanted to write a practical book for medical students, doctors in training, internists, gas­ and surgeons faced with everyday clinical problems in troenterologists, the care of patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis. Now, 10 years lat­ er, our book has become much more than what we had originally intend­ ed, with so many new findings that have expanded our knowledge of pancreatic diseases, not to mention new imaging procedures and con­ trolled studies on the effectiveness of various therapies. Consequently, we decided to include: • The state-of-the-art on diagnosis and therapy in inflammatory pan­ creatic diseases • Recommendations for diagnosis and therapy based on the published results from experienced clinicians. In the many areas still untested we have relied on the decades of experience of the two authors on both sides of the Atlantic • A discussion of unanswered questions for future research by physi­ cians interested in pancreatitis who can draw upon our bibliography of almost 1900 references complete through 1996. We also wanted to demonstrate with this work that two authors from two continents can come to common conclusions that can help physicians and students in their everyday clinical work and their clinical research. It is with deep gratitude that we acknowledge the assistance of Mrs. Gisela Ropte for years of patient cooperation, great precision, and initia­ tive, as well as that of Dr. Dr.