Heterotopic autotransplantation of a pancreas segment with enteric drainage after total or subtotal pancreatectomy for chronic pancreatitis.

Four patients with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis and one patient with idiopathic chronic pancreatitis, who had total or subtotal distal pancreatectomies for persistent pain, underwent simultaneous autotransplantation of a pancreas segment to preserve the pancreatic function. The segment was autotransplanted heterotopically to the iliac fossa with anastomosis of the splenic vessels to the iliac vessels to prevent reinnervation, and the pancreatic duct was anastomosed to the intestine to preserve exocrine function. Postoperatively, the patency of the graft vessels was confirmed by angiography in every patient. Complete pain relief has been obtained in all patients with a followup duration of 4-89 mo. Except for one patient who had been treated preoperatively with insulin injections for diabetes, the patients remained normoglycemic without exogenous insulin administration and demonstrated satisfactory insulin secretion during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. An exocrine pancreatic diagnostant test using p-aminobenzoic acid yielded nearly similar levels to the preoperative value for all patients. Heterotopic autotransplantation of the pancreas segment appears to be effective for preserving pancreatic function, as well as providing permanent pain relief for patients with chronic pancreatitis who require extensive resection of the pancreas.