Splanchnicectomy in pancreatic diseases

: In the foreground of the clinical picture of chronic pancreatitis and carcinoma of the pancreas is pain which frequently is difficult to control by drugs. The authors evaluate in a group of 18 patients with severe epigastric pain associated with carcinoma and in chronic pancreatitis the analgesic effect of splanchnicectomy. In 29.4% of operated patients after surgery pain disappeared completely, 47% of the patients reported substantial relief after surgery. Only in 17.7% of the patients the operation produced no effect. With regard to their own experience the authors can recommend splanchnicectomy in pain associated with diseases of the pancreas which cannot be influenced by other means.