[Surgical treatment of acute pancreatitis using the open abdomen technique]

There is as yet no agreement about a conservative surgical strategy in the therapy of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. This report describes our experience with "open packing" laparostomy. This procedure is only performed when renal and pulmonary insufficiency is proceeding, despite optimal conservative treatment. Since 1986 twenty-two patients were treated in this manner. Three compartments are established: an upper compartment (stomach, liver, spleen covered by the omentum majus, which is dissected from the colon transversum); a lower compartment (small bowel covered by the left colon) and the mid compartment that permanently opens the bursa omentalis and the left retrocolic space. Initially a careful necrosectomy is performed, followed by a tamponade. At the intensive care unit changing of the tamponade and lavage of the bursa omentalis was done every day. So far three patients (13.6%) have died pursuing this therapeutic regimen.