Surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis

We studied the course of 100 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for pain or biliary obstruction from chronic pancreatitis or both between 1958 and 1982. Patients with pancreatic pseudocysts were excluded. Ten patients had pancreatic resection after previous pancreatic surgery had failed to control pain. Ten of 47 patients (21 percent) studied between 1972 and 1981 had bile duct entrapment from chronic pancreatitis and required biliary bypass operations. The results of longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy were good in 67 percent of the patients, fair in 18 percent of the patients, and poor in 15 percent of the patients. The results of partial pancreatectomy were good in 60 percent of the patients (all with disease limited to the tail), fair in 20 percent of the patients, and poor in 20 percent of the patients. The results of subtotal pancreatectomy were good in 31 percent of the patients, fair in 37 percent of the patients, and poor in 32 percent of the patients. The results of pancreatic resection in patients with previous unsuccessful surgery for pain relief were good in only 10 percent of the patients. Biliary obstruction is present in many patients with chronic pancreatitis and must be treated surgically to prevent the development of biliary cirrhosis. Hemipancreatectomy is useful in patients with disease limited to the tail. The results of subtotal pancreatectomy are discouraging, especially in patients with a previous unsuccessful operation for pain. When the pancreatic duct is dilated, however, longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy gives long-lasting relief of pain in most patients.