Short- and long-term results of duodenum preservation versus resection for the management of chronic pancreatitis: a prospective, randomized study.
BACKGROUND
Individualization of operations for chronic pancreatitis (CP) offers tailored operative approaches for the management of complications of CP. For the management of the inflammatory head mass and its complications, duodenum-preserving procedures (Frey and Beger operations) compete in efficacy and quality of life with pancreatoduodenectomy procedures (PPPD and Whipple operations). Our aim was to compare the short- and long-term results of duodenum-preserving and duodenum-resecting techniques in a prospective, randomized trial.


METHODS
Eighty-five patients with CP were randomized to undergo either pylorus-preserving (PPPD) or duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR). Perioperative and long term results were evaluated.


RESULTS
Although the duodenum-preserving operations had a lesser median operating time (360 vs 435 minutes; P = .002), there were no differences in the need for intraoperative blood transfusion (76% vs 79%) or the duration of hospital stay (13 vs 14 days). Postoperative complications in general (33% vs 30%), surgical complications (21% vs 23%), and severe complications such as pancreatic leakage (10% vs 5%) or the need for reoperation (2% vs 2%) did not differ between the DPPHR and the PPPD groups, and there was no mortality (0%). The long-term outcome after a median of >5 years showed no differences between the DPPHR and PPPD regarding quality of life, pain control (67% vs 67%), endocrine status (45% vs 44%), and exocrine insufficiency (76% vs 61%).


CONCLUSIONS
Both types of pancreatic head resections are equally effective in pain relief and eventual quality of life after long-term follow-up (>5 years) without differences in endocrine or exocrine function.
Department of Surgery, University of Freiburg, Germany.
Tobias
T
Keck
Ulrich
U
Adam
Frank
F
Makowiec
Hartwig
H
Riediger
Ulrich
U
Wellner
Dietlind
D
Tittelbach-Helmrich
Ulrich T
UT
Hopt
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D010180:Pancreatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015996:Survival Rate