A new endoscopic drainage technique for pancreatic abscesses

Acute pancreatitis sometimes leads to pancreatic abscess with a high mortality rate when appropriate drainage is not applied. Pancreatic pseudocysts are also major complications of pancreatitis, which usually need to be treated only when they are symptomatic; they sometimes lead to disseminated intravascular coagulopathy or intraabdominal bleeding if they maturate. Conventional pancreatic drainage operations have sometimes been so invasive that they cannot be applied for severe cases with renal failure and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. To avoid the risks of conventional drainage operations for pancreatic abscesses, a low invasive and effective percutaneous drainage technique guided by a laparoscope was developed and employed to a high-risk patient with post-pancreatitic pancreatic abscess. After the operation, leukocytosis and high fever improved dramatically. One year after discharge from the hospital, no recurrence of abscesses or leukocytosis have been found. Thus, this technique should be considered as a first option for the pancreatic drainage operation.