Freedom from pancreatitis pain gets college student back on stage
Seth Rodivich was 8 years old when he suffered his first pancreatitis attack. The abdominal pain was so severe that his parents took him to the hospital, where he ended up staying for days. The attacks came back every three years at first, then more frequently.
By the time Rodivich was 15, he was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. The pain worsened over time and made it hard to keep up with school, play soccer, and pursue his love of acting.
While chronic pancreatitis is rare in children, it’s a serious condition and can cause lasting damage. It also requires specialized care, which is why Rodivich and his family were eventually referred from their hometown in Louisiana to M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital.
M Health Fairview is home to the world’s largest total pancreatectomy and islet auto-transplant (TP-IAT) program. TP-IAT relieves debilitating chronic pancreatitis pain by removing the pancreas. Islet cells in the pancreas produce insulin, which helps balance blood sugar. After removing the pancreas, surgeons separate the critical islet cells and return them to the patient’s liver. The hope is that the islet cells in the liver will produce insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal, supported with supplemental insulin injections if necessary.
The University of Minnesota performed the world’s first TP-IAT in 1977, and M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital is one of just a handful of medical centers worldwide to offer the procedure for children and teens.
A groundbreaking program for pediatric chronic pancreatitis
Rodivich made the decision to have TP-IAT the summer before his senior year of high school. Doctors had found physical scarring forming after Rodivich’s many bouts of acute pancreatitis.
“It was getting to a point of no return,” said Rodivich. “I also knew that if I didn’t choose to have the procedure, my last year of high school and moving forward, I’d be very restricted.”
Rodivich and his family worked with a multidisciplinary team at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital – including Pediatric Endocrinologist Melena Bellin, MD, and Transplant Surgeon Srinath Chinnakotla, MD, who oversaw the complex procedure in July 2020.
“There aren’t a lot of programs that offer TP-IAT to children,” said Bellin. “We’re one of only a few centers with a dedicated clinical team and facility experienced in doing pediatric surgeries.”
Rodivich credits his family for supporting him through surgery – and pushing for answers after his first mysterious bouts of pancreatitis.
“My parents fought to the very end to see my health be the very best it can be,” he said.
