Tamotsu Kuroki, Susumu Eguchi
Chronic pancreatitis is characterized by severe abdominal pain and progressive insufficiency of pancreatic endocrine/exocrine function. Pancreatic ductal drainage is one of the most important factors for the management of chronic pancreatitis. A longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy is a simple and radical surgical treatment for pancreatic ductal drainage. However, in recent years laparoscopic pancreatic procedures have developed rapidly, and reports concerning laparoscopic pancreatic resection including laparoscopic longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy have increased in number. Nevertheless, the benefits of laparoscopic longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy for chronic pancreatitis compared with conventional open surgery are unclear. In this review, we note that laparoscopic longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy is a technically feasible, safe and effective surgical procedure in selected patients with chronic pancreatitis.
