[Long-term follow-up results of surgery for chronic pancreatitis]

Authors evaluate the late results of 51 operated patients by decompression or resection procedure for chronic pancreatitis between 1990-94, based on a follow-up period of 86 months. Only 34% of the 47 investigated patients could be classified as "good" results group--it is the half part of the good results of their former study based on 20 months follow-up period. The incidence of late deaths was very high--27.6%. Eighty-five percent of all the lost patients (11 pts) died after the seventh postoperative year. The most threatened group seems to be the alcoholic and insulin-dependent diabetic patients. This combination was the cause of death in third part of the cases. IDDM developed altogether in 9 patients, on average 3.7 years after the operation, namely it was the consequence of the irreversible progressive natural history of disease. The rate of disability is 44%, and it is significantly higher in the resected group than after decompression, just like the late mortality rat. Based on their results authors emphasise that in chronic pancreatitis the short-term (20-36 months) follow-up results may be deceptive, real outcome of the surgical treatment could be expected only after 5 years postoperatively.