[Surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis. Indications and results. An experience of 246 cases].

Between 1972 and 1986, 246 patients, mainly alcoholic, with a mean age of 44 years, underwent a total of 270 laparotomies. Parenchymal resections were carried out in 99 patients and drainage and diversion procedures were carried out in 159. Pain was the principal symptom and led to surgery in 60% of cases; biliary or duodenal obstruction was present in 40 and 23.5% of cases respectively. Operative mortality was 9% for resections and 5.8% for other forms of surgery. In the long term, the best results were obtained in patients in whom a Whipple procedure was performed.