Objective: To summarize the experience in the surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis.
Methods: 189 patients with pancreatitis admitted from May 1983 to August 1999 to our hospital were reviewed.
Results: 136 (72%) patients received surgical treatment including pancreatoduodenectomy (15 patients), distal pancreatectomy (12), internal drainage of pancreatic pseudocyst (28), side-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy (16), relief of biliary stenosis (58), and pancreatic biopsy (7). Pain was relieved in 97.8% of the patients, and the complication rate was 1.5%.
Conclusions: It is crucial to select various surgical strategies at a proper time for chronic pancreatitis patients. Patients with chronic pancreatitis complicated by dilation or obstruction of the pancreatic duct or with biliary pancreatitis should be operated on in early stages, whereas those with other types of chronic pancreatitis should receive the therapy focusing on the alleviation of their symptoms, not on early surgical intervention. The timing and modality of surgery are important in improving the life quality of the patients and changing their natural history of the disease.