Pancreaticoduodenectomy for the treatment of groove pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Groove pancreatitis is a segmental form of chronic pancreatitis that can be treated with pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), although outcome studies for this approach are lacking. We performed an assessment of pain symptoms, need for opioids, and weight gain following PD for symptomatic groove pancreatitis.

METHODS

The study was a retrospective case series describing all patients with groove pancreatitis who underwent PD at our medical center. The primary outcome was the change in pain level and opioid use following PD.

RESULTS

Five patients underwent PD for treatment of groove pancreatitis. Patients' perception of pain, using a 10-point visual analog scale, improved after surgery from 5.0 to 0.2. Opioid analgesics, as measured by oral morphine equivalents, dropped from 77.6 to 0 mg daily, with all five patients being completely free of opioids post-operatively. Weight loss ceased in all five patients, with an overall mean weight gain of 15.4 pounds post-operatively.

CONCLUSIONS

PD reduces pain and opioid analgesic use in groove pancreatitis. This intervention should be considered for patients with this condition.