[Surgery of acute pancreatitis. A problem of retroperitoneal sepsis?]

Of 99 patients with acute pancreatitis 31 had to be operated upon. Surgical intervention was indicated if, in the presence of pancreatic necrosis demonstrated by computed tomography, clinical evidence of sepsis developed. The operation was performed on average ten days after the onset of symptoms. Evidence of bacterial contamination of the pancreatic necrosis was obtained in 26 patients. The operation consisted of left pancreatic resection with formation of a left compartment. Four of the 31 operated patients died (12.9%).