Influence of bile duct obstruction on the results of Frey's procedure for chronic pancreatitis

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of a biliary obstruction (BO) requiring biliary bypass on both short and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing Frey's procedure for chronic pancreatitis (CP).

Methods: From 1999 to 2010, 33 consecutive patients underwent Frey's procedure for CP in two centers. Seventeen (54%) patients underwent biliary bypass to treat an associated BO. Characteristics and outcomes of these patients were compared to those of 16 others without BO.

Results: Patients with BO had more severe disease including lower BMI and larger pancreatic head (4 cm vs. 6 cm, p = 0.021). The operative mortality was nil. Patients with BO experienced more overall postoperative complications (71% vs. 31%, p = 0.024) but similar major complication rates (18% vs. 6%, p = 0.316) compared to those without BO. After a median follow-up of 51 (1-96) months, 91% of the patients experienced either partial or complete relief of their symptoms and 36% exhibited deterioration of their endocrine function. Multivariate analysis revealed preoperative BO to be associated with long-term impairment of endocrine function (OR: 43.249; 95% CI 2.221-84.277; p = 0.013).

Conclusion: In patients undergoing Frey's procedure for CP, associated BO can be safely managed using biliary bypass. However, the severity of CP in these patients is responsible for a higher risk of long-term endocrine insufficiency.