Surgical treatment for acute pancreatitis and pancreatic necrosis

Pancreatitis, considered by clinicians to be one of the most serious abdominal disorders, is a life-threatening disease resulting in numerous complications if not diagnosed early or treated with special care. Management is based on supportive care, including rehydration, pain control, continuous monitoring of vital signs and assessment of organ function, and on early oral feeding. However, there are cases such as acute gallstone pancreatitis, necrotising pancreatitis, or acute fulminant (haemorrhagic) pancreatitis, that require operative or surgical intervention. As recent years have seen increasing numbers of different types and subtypes of pancreatitis, the guidelines concerning the most effective therapeutic methods, including invasive treatment, have evolved. The aim of this review was to present surgical treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP) in the light of changing patterns of management.