Perioperative and follow-up results after central pancreatic head resection (Berne technique) in a consecutive series of patients with chronic pancreatitis

Müller, Michael W.; Friess, Helmut; Leitzbach, Sarah; Michalski, Christoph W.; Berberat, Pascal; Ceyhan, Güralp O.; Hinz, Ulf; Ho, Choon-Kiat; Köninger, Jörg; Kleeff, Jörg; Büchler, Markus W.

doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2007.08.065

« Previous Next »The American Journal of Surgery
Volume 196, Issue 3 , Pages 364-372, September 2008

Perioperative and follow-up results after central pancreatic head resection (Berne technique) in a consecutive series of patients with chronic pancreatitis

Michael W. Müller, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Helmut Friess, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Sarah Leitzbach
- Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Christoph W. Michalski, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Pascal Berberat, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Güralp O. Ceyhan, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Ulf Hinz, M.Sc.
- Division of Medical Statistics and Documentation, Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Choon-Kiat Ho, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Jörg Köninger, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Jörg Kleeff, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Markus W. Büchler, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +011-49-6221-564860; fax: +011-49-6221-566903

Received 13 May 2007; received in revised form 14 August 2007 published online 30 May 2008.

Abstract

Background

Many patients require surgery for chronic pancreatitis (CP). By combining the essences of the Beger and the Frey procedures, a hybrid procedure was developed: central pancreatic-head resection (CPHR) (Berne technique).

Methods

A prospective evaluation of 100 consecutive patients who underwent CPHR for CP between January 2002 and December 2006 was performed. Long-term follow-up, including quality-of-life (QOL) assessment, was carried out.

Results

The hospital mortality rate was 1%; the surgical morbidity rate was 16%; and the relaparotomy rate was 6%. Mean surgery time was 295 ± 7 minutes; mean intraoperative blood loss was 763 ± 75 mL; and the mean postsurgical hospital stay was 11.4 ± .8 days. After a median follow-up of 41 months, pain was improved in 55% of patients; weight increase occurred in 67% of patients; and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus developed in 22% of the patients. Comparison of QOL parameters with a German adult control population showed no statistically significant differences.

Conclusions

CPHR is a safe surgical option to resolve CP-associated problems. Long-term follow-up QOL after CPHR shows results comparable with date published data after the Beger and the Frey procedures.

Keywords: Chronic pancreatitis, Pancreatic-head resection, Surgery