Chronic pancreatitis--a surgeons' view.

Chronic pancreatitis is a common disease with consumption of alcohol as a leading cause. It is characterized by an inflammatory mass usually located in the pancreatic head. The aim of treatment is mainly pain relief and improvement in the quality of life, which still poses a major challenge today. Duodenum preserving resections of the pancreas offer the best short-term outcome according to the trials conducted so far. It combines the highest safety of all effective surgical procedures with the highest efficacy; it might sound to be the one ideal operation for CP. In experienced centers the operative strategy might be modified slightly to suit the needs of the individual patient.