[Surgical resection procedures in chronic pancreatitis--counter arguments from the gastroenterologist's viewpoint]

A longitudinal study of a large mixed medical-surgical series of chronic pancreatitis indicates that the two main indications for pancreatic surgery are persistent pain due to pseudocysts or rarely recurrent severe pain despite alcohol abstinence in uncomplicated chronic pancreatitis. Drainage procedures of cysts and/or pancreatic duct are the method of choice. Resections are rarely indicated and are associated with a high late postoperative mortality particularly in alcoholics.