Diagnosis and treatment of biliary hypertension syndrome in chronic pancreatitis

Aim. To study the efficacy and pancreatic and biliodigestive bypass surgeries combined with or without resection of the pancreatic head in the surgical treatment of biliary hypertension syndrome in chronic pancreatitis.

Methods. The analysis of surgical treatment of 87 patients with chronic pancreatitis complicated with biliary tract obstruction was performed. In 78 patients the strictures were tubular and had a length of 2-4 cm, 9 patients had «rat’s tail» shaped strictures and a length of 5-7 cm.

Results. In 37 patients various biliodigestive anastomoses without intervention on the pancreas were performed. Unsatisfactory results of choledochoduodenal anastomosis in chronic pancreatitis in long-term follow-up were reported in 3 of 8 interviewed patients. The optimal variant of biliodigestive bypass in chronic pancreatitis with biliary hypertension syndrome is hepaticojejunal anastomosis. In 13 patients different interventions on biliary tract in combination with resection of pancreatic head by Frey were performed. In 13 patients with obstructive forms of chronic pancreatitis with severe pancreatic hypertension pancreaticojejunostomy without resection of the pancreatic head was performed. In the long-term follow up after these surgeries in 7 out of 10 patients the signs of biliary hypertension did not completely resolve. The best results were obtained by using draining pancreatic duct interventions with pancreatic head resection by Frey.

Conclusion. In tubular pancreatogenic strictures of the common bile duct when the symptoms of biliary hypertension are severe, the method of choice is hepaticojejunal anastomosis; duodenum preserving resection of pancreatic head in chronic pancreatitis complicated with biliary hypertension should be combined with bile duct draining operations.