Debridement and drainage of walled-off pancreatic necrosis by a novel laparoendoscopic rendezvous maneuver: experience with 6 cases.
BACKGROUND
Walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN) is a known complication of acute and chronic pancreatitis. Indications for treatment of WOPN are infection, a rapid increase in size, pain, or biliary or duodenal obstruction. Endoscopic transgastric treatment of pseudocysts with liquid content is successful in approximately 90% of patients; however, the treatment of WOPN is less satisfactory.


OBJECTIVE
A demonstration of a novel minimally invasive approach to adequately remove and drain pancreatic necrosis.


METHODS
Between June 2004 and June 2006, a nonrandomized observational study was conducted with 6 consecutive patients. WOPN was treated by a minimally invasive laparoendoscopic rendezvous technique.


METHODS
All patients were examined at the university hospital in Freiburg, Germany.


METHODS
Six patients were treated for WOPN of an average diameter of 13 cm (range 9-20 cm). In 5 cases, the WOPN was a consequence of acute pancreatitis; there was 1 case of chronic pancreatitis. The average interval between diagnosis and initial treatment was 14 weeks (range 6-20 weeks).


RESULTS
Conventional surgery was avoided in 5 patients (83%) over a median follow-up of 14 months (range 1.5-27 months). Six endoscopic sessions (range 4-11) were performed during the entire treatment period. One patient needed emergency surgery on day 4 after the intervention for a perforation because of gastric-wall separation from the necrotic cavity. There was 1 lethal gastric variceal bleeding, which occurred when a gastrostomy tube was removed 46 days after the initial treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The small number of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
In selected cases, minimally invasive laparoendoscopic treatment of WOPN is possible without the need of laparotomy or laparoscopy.
Fischer
Andreas
A
Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany.
Schrag
Hans-Juergen
HJ
Keck
Tobias
T
Hopt
Ulrich T
UT
Utzolino
Stefan
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods*; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome