Surgical Treatment of Chronic Pancreatitis

Choi, Dongho

Abstract

Treatment of chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a challenging disease for surgeons. During the last several decades, increasing knowledge about pathophysiology of CP, improved results of major pancreatic resections, and development of sophisticated diagnostic methods in clinical practice have resulted in significant changes in surgery for CP. Main indications of CP for surgery are intractable pain, suspicion of malignancy, and involvement of adjacent organs. The goal of surgical treatment is to improve the quality of life of patients. The surgical approach to CP should be individualized according to pancreatic anatomy and pathophysiology, pain characteristics, baseline exocrine and endocrine function, and medical co-morbidity. The approach usually involves pancreatic duct drainage and resection including longitudinal pancreatojejunostomy, pancreatoduodenectomy (Whipple's procedure), pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy, distal pancreatectomy, total pancreatectomy, duodenum preserving pancreatic head resection (Beger's procedure), and local resection of the pancreatic head with longitudinal pancreatojejunostomy (Frey's procedure). Surgical procedures provide long-term pain relief, a good postoperative quality of life with preservation of endocrine and exocrine pancreatic function, and are associated with low early and late mortality and morbidity. Even though available results from randomized controlled trials were published, new studies are needed to determine which procedure is the most effective for the management of patients with CP.