Patients usually recover fully from acute pancreatitis and do not experience recurrence if the cause is removed. Alcohol consumption should be eliminated even if it is not determined as the cause of the disease. Smoking, which stresses the body's defenses against inflammation, should be stopped. If gallstones were the cause, then removal of the gallbladder is required to prevent further attacks. For those patients in whom a cause is not readily identified, there should be consideration of other diagnostic testing such as endoscopic ultrasound.
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