Surgery for chronic pancreatitis.

We operated on 102 patients (89 men and 13 women) who had chronic pancreatitis. The mean age at the time of surgery was 45 1/2 years. Of these patients, 77 had resections (57 distal pancreatectomies, 17 duodenopancreatectomies, an three total pancreatectomies) and 25 had diversion procedures (15 Puestow operations and 10 internal drainage of cysts). The indication for surgery was abdominal pain in 88% and the presence of jaundice in 21%. Our patients had severe pancreatic disease: 64% had pseudocysts, 41% had calcifications, and 26% had calculi in the duct of Wirsung. The postoperative mortality rate was low (3%), but morbidity occurred in 18% (mostly after resection procedures). The incidence of diabetes after surgery was high after resection (57%) but it also occurred after diversion procedures (10%). The quality and length of survival was similar after resections and after diversions, although patients with alcoholic pancreatitis had the worst long-term prognosis. Reoperations were performed in 16% of all patients; the incidence was lower after duodenopancreatectomy.