Ablative surgery for necrotizing pancreatitis.

We have confirmed again that bile and trypsin injected in dogs under high pressure produce highly lethal necrotizing pancreatitis responsive to fluid resuscitation. Animals undergoing pancreatectomy show a reduction in serum amylase levels and hemoconcentration (reflected in hematocrit levels) after pancreatectomy, an effect that may be related to removal of the source of vasoactive substances liberated in pancreatitis. Qualitatively, survivors of pancreatectomy exhibit accelerated convalescence. Pancreatectomy, however, does not increase survival once the disease process is established and may be harmful. This experimental study does not support the clinical use of pancretectomy but rather emphasizes the utility of adequate fluid resuscitation in the treatment of severe pancreatitis.