[Surgical intervention in severe acute pancreatitis--retrospective study of 79 patients of the RWTH Aachen Surgical Clinic].

This is a report on the surgical intervention in 79 patients with acute pancreatitis, who were operated in the Department of Surgery of the University Clinic RWTH Aachen in the period from 1986 to 1993. The main objective was the stratification of pancreatitis according to the Ranson-Score, the analysis of the surgical treatment and the timing of operation depending on the clinical condition. The average Ranson-score was 3.3 (median 3). 56 patients had necroses, which were removed because of the deteriorating clinical condition. In these cases the average Ranson-score was 4.2 (median 4). Seven patients (8.9% of the total number and 12.5% of the patients with necroses of the pancreas) died. This small number is the result of a severity-adapted management in a modern intensive care-unit and the good cooperation with the Department of Internal Medicine.