TREATMENT OF CHRONIC PANCREATITIS BY UNILATERAL SPLANCHNICECTOMY

Abstract

SINCE 1936 one of us has carried out several pancreatectomies on the left side with success in cases of limited pancreatitis involving the same side.¹ However, if the lesions are diffused throughout the pancreas, some other procedure has to be carried out. Total pancreatectomy, same side.¹ However, if the lesions are diffused throughout the pancreatitis with calcareous deposits but not in cases of chronic relapsing pancreatitis without stones in the duct of Wirsung. Frequent check of operations on the biliary tract in such cases induced one of us to perform unilateral splanchnicectomy in 1942.³ From the first results, analyzed by Mallet-Guy and Vachon,⁴ it was possible to see the importance of this method in the treatment of chronic pancreatitis. In a recent paper, de Takats and Walter,⁵ after having obtained excellent results in 2 cases, wondered whether the operation has not a direct effect on