Surgical management of necrotizing pancreatitis

The most important diagnostic step in the management of patients with severe acute pancreatitis is the discrimination between acute interstitial and necrotizing pancreatitis. Measurement of C-reactive protein, lactic acid dehydrogenase, alpha-1-antitrypsin, and alpha-2-macroglobulin and contrast-enhanced CT are useful in detecting the necrotizing course of acute pancreatitis. C-reactive protein, lactic acid dehydrogenase, and contrast-enhanced CT offer detection rates of 85 per cent to more than 90 per cent for pancreatic necrosis. Surgical decision-making in necrotizing pancreatitis should be based on clinical, morphologic, and bacteriologic data. Patients with focal pancreatic necrosis, in general, respond well to medical treatment and do not need surgery. Extended (50 per cent or more) pancreatic necroses, infected necroses, and intrapancreatic parenchymal necroses plus extrapancreatic fatty tissue necroses are indicators for surgical management. The decision for the timing of operation in patients with proved necrotizing pancreatitis should be based on clinical criteria: the development of an acute surgical abdomen, generalized sepsis, shock, persisting or increasing organ dysfunction, or some combination thereof despite maximum intensive care treatment for at least 3 days. Major pancreatic resection for the treatment of necrotizing pancreatitis appears disadvantageous. Necrosectomy and continuous local lavage allow debridement of devitalized tissue and preservation of vital pancreatic tissue. Postoperative local lavage thus results in an atraumatic evacuation of necrotic tissue, the bacterial material, and biologically active substances. The hospital mortality rate of patients treated with necrosectomy and continuous local lavage (the Ulm protocol) is below 10 per cent. Nevertheless, controlled prospective clinical trials should be performed in order to bring more precision to our clinical decisions in respect to the role of surgery for this disease.