[Postoperative pancreatitis].
Incidence and extent of increased alpha-amylase concentration were examined in serum and urine following routine surgical intervention in the epigastrium. Only patients with non-specific clinical symptoms (n=49) and a control group who had undergone surgery for inguinal hernia (n=10) were included in the study. Patients previously subjected to gastric surgery (selective gastric vagotomy = 10, gastric resection according to Billroth I = 10) were significantly more often found to have results within a range usually considered pathological. Patients who had undergone surgery of the bile duct were markedly less affected. The diagnosis, based on the benefit of the hindsight, of a postoperative pancreatitis in cases where specific complaints and increased maylase concentration coincide does therefore not appear justified--particularly following gastric surgery. This becomes significant if a choice between various conservative treatments or relaparotomy is being considered.
D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D001662:Biliary Tract Surgical Procedures; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014628:Vagotomy
D000681:Amylases
Postoperative Pankreatitis