Surgical treatment of pancreatitis
Surgery may be performed if there is evidence of complications, such as infection or bleeding. The most common is a cholecystectomy in the case of gallstone pancreatitis, which removes the affected gallbladder and clears the bile ducts from gallstones. There are many other procedures, depending on the type of complication the patient has:
- Pancreatic ductal stents: A tube placed to drain fluid and bile from the pancreas into the duodenum. Stents are used when pancreatitis causes damage to the pancreatic duct. Pancreatic ductal stents can be temporary (removed after 3 to 6 months), permanent (removed after several years), or semi-permanent (removed at a later date).
- Percutaneous aspiration of pancreatic pseudocyst: Pancreatic pseudocysts develop when there is an infection in the pancreas and fluid collects around the inflamed area. When the pseudocyst grows very large, percutaneous aspiration is recommended to reduce the pressure in the area.
