Objective: To assess the long-term results of sphincteroplasty of the minor papilla in a series of patients with symptomatic pancreas divisum.
Design: Retrospective study.
Setting: University hospital, UK.
Subjects: 6 consecutive patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis thought to be caused by pancreas divisum.
Interventions: Surgical enlargement of the minor papilla of Santorini (Santoriniplasty).
Main outcome measures: The effectiveness of the procedure in preventing further episodes of acute pancreatitis and controlling chronic intermittent pancreatic pain, outside documented attacks of pancreatitis.
Results: Median follow up was 4 years (range: 1-6). The procedure was effective in preventing further episodes of recurrent acute pancreatitis (in all patients) but not uniformly good in controlling chronic pancreatic pain (good: 2/6, moderate: 1/6, poor: 3/6).
Conclusion: The prevention of further attacks of acute pancreatitis by Santoriniplasty indicates that a short term favourable clinical outcome may be achieved by improving drainage of the pancreatic duct through the stenosed minor papilla. Poor pain control may indicate early parenchymal changes or that unsuitable patients had been selected for surgical intervention. At present, there are no objective tests of pancreatic function that can predict which patients are most likely to benefit from Santoriniplasty. Prospective studies with more patients followed up for longer periods of time are needed before the role of the surgical drainage in symptomatic pancreas divisum can be clearly defined.