Closed drainage versus open packing of infected pancreatic necrosis

Infected pancreatic necrosis is the most lethal form of pancreatic infections. We have compared our results of open packing and closed catheter drainage after surgical debridement in 20 patients between 1978 and 1993. There were 18 men and 2 women, ages 18 to 72 (mean 54 years). Pancreatitis was attributed to alcohol in eight patients, gallstones in four, surgery in four, hyperlipidemia in one, and was unknown in one. The most common infectious organisms were Strep. viridans, E. coli, Staph aureus, and Candida albicans. Surgical debridement and closed catheter drainage without lavage was the initial treatment in nine patients. Seven of 9 (78%) required reoperation for recurrent abscess and necrosis. Procedure related morbidity was 70 per cent and overall mortality was 44 per cent. Sepsis was the cause of death in three patients and multi-system organ failure in one patient. Surgical debridement and open packing was performed in 11 patients. Each patient had scheduled reoperations for repeat debridement and packing an average of 10 times over 21 days. Procedure-related morbidity was 73 per cent and overall mortality was 18 per cent. One patient died of cardiac failure and one of multisystem organ failure. Retroperitoneal hemorrhage and recurrent abscesses were more frequent after closed drainage, whereas gastric fistula and incisional hernia were more frequent after open packing. Ventilator dependence, pancreatic and intestinal fistula, and organ failure occurred at the same rate. In conclusion, surgical debridement and open packing, with planned redebridement and packing, is more effective in controlling the septic process than is closed catheter drainage of infected pancreatic necrosis.