Surgical management of inflammatory disorders of the pancreas.

Operative intervention may be quite successful in dealing with certain patients who have various inflammatory disorders of the pancreas. For patients with severe acute pancreatitis, a wide variety of procedures has been advocated and, indeed, the value of operation itself is controversial. Individuals with biliary pancreatitis as well as those with pancreatic pseudocysts, abscesses and fistulas may frequently benefit from operations when properly indicated. Finally, most patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis can at least obtain significant pain relief following one of a number of types of operative procedures.