Surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis. Indications and early results

: A report is given on 28 resections on patients with chronic pancreatitis with a high frequency of severe destructive lesions in the head of the pancreas. Pseudocysts, single, multiple or extrapancreatic were present in almost 50%. Strictures of the Ductus Wirsungianus were found in 24 cases and 50% had multiple pancreatic stones. In these cases 12 partial and 9 total duodenopancreatectomies and 7 distal resections were performed. All patients with distal resections survived. Only one patient died in the group with partial and total duodenopancreatectomy, which accounts for a postoperative letality of 4.8%. Postoperative there were 4 reoccurrences of pancreatitis, due to further alcohol abusus, 1 patient died from alcohol intoxication. Patients with total seemed to do better than with partial pancreatectomy at a survey 18 months after operation.