The Results of Duodenum-Preserving Resections of the Pancreas in Chronic Pancreatitis Using the Technology of Sealing the Pancreatic-Intestinal Anastomosis

Abstract

Background. The problem of chronic pancreatitis in recent years is acute, primarily due to the occurrence of complications and pain that forces you to turn to a surgeon. The main cause of deaths is the failure of the pancreatic anastomosis and the occurrence of bleeding into the cavity of the pancreatic intestinal anastomosis (40 %).Aims: to improve the results of duodenum-preserving resections by introducing the technology of sealing the pancreaticintestinal anastomosis.Materials and methods. The clinic operated 225 patients with chronic pancreatitis. All patients before the operation and in the postoperative period were carried out clinical and biochemical studies, the Frey operation was performed. Patients were divided into two groups. The first group, the group of comparison, included 184 (81.8 %) patients with pancreatoenteroanastomosis formed without additional sealing methods. The second group – the main one – consisted of 41 (18.2 %)patients in which the suture of the pancreatic anastomosis was strengthened with an adhesive composite or with the loop of the small intestine.Results. After the surgery, complications in the control group were recorded in 19 (8.4 %) patients: failure – in 6 (3 %), bleeding into the lumen of pancreatoenteroanastomosis – in 9 (4 %), mortality was 1.8 % (4 persons). There were no complications in the main group. The analysis of the amylase content in the drainage fluid revealed high values in the control group on the 3rd day – 916 ± 15 U/l, in comparison with the main group – 437 ± 16 U/l (p < 0.05). The data obtained indicate that the cause of insolvency of the pancreatic-intestinal anastomosis is the penetration of enzymes through the pancreatic-cervical anastomosis zone into the abdominal cavity. When analyzing the results, it turned out that the failure of the pancreatic-intestinal anastomosis was not detected in any case in patients with sealing.Conclusion. The escape of enzymes destroys the tightness of the superimposed fistula and is characterized by an increase in the level of amylase in the drainage fluid. The proposed sealing technologies decrease the number of postoperative complications and improve the results of treatment.