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Frey procedure for chronic pancreatitis in children: A single center experience
Sukanta Ray1, Sumit Sanyal1, Supriyo Ghatak1
1Division of Surgical Gastroenterology, School of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, 244 A. J. C. Bose Road, Kolkata, 700020, West Bengal, India.
Insights
The Frey procedure is a safe and effective surgical option for children with chronic pancreatitis, offering good pain relief. This study highlights its feasibility and acceptable complication rates in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric surgery
- Gastroenterology
- Surgical oncology
Background:
- Limited literature exists on the Frey procedure for pediatric chronic pancreatitis.
- This study addresses the paucity of data by presenting surgical experience in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Frey procedure in pediatric patients with chronic pancreatitis.
- To present the outcomes of the Frey procedure in a pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study of children undergoing the Frey procedure.
- Data collected from August 2007 to May 2014 at a tertiary care center in India.
- Inclusion criteria: children with chronic pancreatitis treated with Frey procedure after failure of conservative management.
Main Results:
- Twenty-four children (13 female, 11 male) with a mean age of 13.95 years were included.
- The Frey procedure demonstrated acceptable operative times (mean 215 min) and blood loss (mean 177 ml).
- Postoperative complications occurred in 21% of patients, with no in-hospital mortality or reoperations; 91% remained pain-free at a median follow-up of 29 months.
Conclusions:
- The Frey procedure is a safe and feasible surgical option for children suffering from chronic pancreatitis.
- The procedure offers good short-term pain control with acceptable perioperative complications in the pediatric population.
Background:
There is paucity of literature regarding the Frey procedure for children with chronic pancreatitis. The purpose of this study is to present our experience with the Frey procedure in children.
Methods:
This is an observational retrospective review study. All children, who underwent a Frey procedure between August 2007 and May 2014 in the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, India were included in this study.
Results:
Twenty four children were included in our study. There were 13 girls and 11 boys. Mean age at operation was 13.95years (range, 4 to 18years). Mean duration between the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and surgery was 4.41years (range, 1 to 14years). Frey procedure was performed after failure of medical or endoscopic therapy. Mean duration of operation and blood loss were 215minutes (range, 150-300minutes) and 177ml (range, 50 to 500ml) respectively. Average postoperative hospital stay was 8days (range, 5 to 16days). Five patients (21%) developed postoperative complications. There was no in hospital mortality and no patient required reoperation for postoperative complications. More than a median follow-up of 29months (range, 3-78months), 91% of the patients remained pain free.
Conclusion:
Frey procedure is safe and feasible in children with acceptable perioperative complications and good short-term pain control.
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