title: Bilateral thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy in patients with chronic pancreatitis.
abstract: Intractable pain, the most prominent feature of chronic pancreatitis, causes the patient great disability, and its treatment poses a difficult problem for gastroenterologist and surgeon alike. The main goal of treatment is to provide sufficient and lasting pain relief without the use of opiates. Conservative management, including stopping alcohol consumption, dietary measures, pancreatic enzyme suppletion and analgesics, is discussed. When these measures fail, surgery is often unavoidable. Indications, effect on pain relief, morbidity and mortality of drainage and resection procedures are described. Bilateral thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy, a newly developed operation to alleviate pain irrespective of the type of anatomic abnormality, is outlined in more detail. Early encouraging results of pain relief in patients with chronic pancreatitis after thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy are presented.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Surgery, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Buscher
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Goor
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003714:Denervation / Q000379:methods*; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010179:Pancreas / Q000294:innervation*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013153:Splanchnic Nerves / Q000601:surgery*; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome