[Surgical approach to chronic pancreatitis: draining and resection procedure]

The major aims of surgical therapy in chronic pancreatitis (CP) are pain relief and good long-term quality of life with preservation of endocrine and exocrine organ function. The surgical approach is therefore focused on drainage of the congested pancreatic (and bile) duct as well as resection of fibrotic and calcified tissue. Draining procedures alone are adequate for drainage of pseudocysts (cystojejunostomy) and the pancreatic duct (Partington) if no inflammatory tumor is present in the organ. Most CP patients present with unclear head mass and subsequent duct dilation. In these patients the different modifications of duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resections (e.g. Beger, Bern) offer a preferable option. Partial duodenopancreatectomy is an alternative but may be difficult to perform due to inflammatory changes around the portal vein and venous collaterals. Segmental resection and V-shaped excision may be appropriate in special situations (segmental fibrosis, small duct disease) and are performed less frequently (approximately 5 %) in the entire surgical CP population. In cases of suspected CP-related malignancy, formal resections (partial, distal or total pancreaticoduodenectomy) must be the surgical procedures of choice and be performed according to oncological principles.