Minimally invasive pancreatic necrosectomy; a technical pictorial review

Necrotizing pancreatitis is the most severe form of acute pancreatitis, which is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Open necrosectomy has been one of the treatment modalities; however, it has been associated with high mortality rates and alternative minimally invasive procedures such as minimal invasive pancreatic necrosectomy (MIPN) were developed to improve on the outcomes. While current clinical evidence on MIPN showed significant advantages in terms of incidence of multiple organ failure, incisional hernias and new-onset diabetes there were no differences in terms of mortality rate. In this pictorial review we are presenting the technical details of MIPN as a minimally invasive procedure for the debridement of the necrotic pancreatic tissue and we will discuss the current evidence around the use of this procedure for the management of pancreatic necrosis.