Surgery in acute pancreatitis.

The most important diagnostic step in the management of patients with severe acute pancreatitis is discrimination between interstitial-edematous pancreatitis and necrotizing pancreatitis. In this respect, laboratory measures like CRP, LDH, and antiproteases, and the application of contrast-enhanced CT are highly sensitive methods. Surgical decision-making should be based on clinical, bacteriological and contrast-enhanced CT data. Persistent or progressive systemic or local organ complications occurring despite ICU treatment for a minimum of three days are indicators for surgical management of necrotizing pancreatitis. Patients suffering from sepsis syndrome, cardiovascular shock, multisystemic organ failure syndrome, or surgical acute abdomen should be treated surgically early in the course of the disease. The use of a major pancreatic resection for the surgical management of necrotizing pancreatitis should be excluded from treatment protocols. Carefully performed necrosectomy or debridement, in combination with continuous or repeatedly applied surgical evacuation techniques for necrotic tissue, bacteria, and biologically active compounds, has proved to be very effective in experienced treatment centers. Necrosectomy and postoperative continuous local lavage is a well-adapted, safe, and atraumatic procedure. It results in a hospital mortality of less than 10% in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis.