[Management of postoperative pancreatic fistula resistant to octreotide therapy]

Pancreatic fistula is a rare postoperative complication, usually occurring after pancreatic surgery. Majority of them heal spontaneously, some patients require somatostatin/octreotide treatment. The authors have presented 11 patients with postoperative pancreatic fistula, in whom octreotide therapy in dose of 0.1 mg t.i.d./10 days has been ineffective. The causes of pancreatic fistula have been as follows: necrosectomy of the infected pancreatic necrosis--5 patients, distal pancreatic resection--2 patients, insulinoma enucleation--2 patients, gastrectomy with partial pancreatectomy--2 patients. In 9 patients endoscopic stenting of the main pancreatic duct has been performed. In remained 2 patients after Roux-en-Y gastrectomy the endoscopic access to Vater papilla has been impossible and the patients have received one intramuscular injection of long acting somatostatin analogue. In 8 of 9 patients with pancreatic stenting and in two patients after gastrectomy the fistula has been closed within the period of 6-17 days. In one patient after the necrosectomy the prosthesis implacement has been ineffective. This patient has been successfully treated with two additional injections of long acting somatostatin analogue (one injection/14 days). Authors have concluded that endoscopic pancreatic stenting has been an effective method of treatment of the postoperative pancreatic fistula, resistant to octreotide therapy. In some cases, additional administration of long acting somatostatin analogue has been necessary.