Background: Many patients with chronic pancreatitis are elected for surgery when endoscopic interventions are ineffective. Duodenum preserving pancreatic head resection introduced by Charles F. Frey is the most common procedure used for surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis. However, technical aspects of this procedure have not been studied extensively. Goal Our prospective randomized study is aimed to compare usage of single-layer continuous (I group) and two-layer interrupted sutures (II group) in constructing pancreatojejunostomy after Frey procedure.
Methods and materials: In a period between 2009 and 2016, a total of 103 patients, diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis and determined medical indications for surgical treatment were included into the study and randomized into group I (52 patients) and group II (51 patients). Preoperative, intraoperative patient characteristics and postoperative results were compared between both groups.
Results: Mean duration of surgery was statistically shorter in group I - 210 min, while in group II - 240 min (p = 0.004). Pancreatojejunoanastomosis construction time was shorter in group I - 19 (±6) min versus 51 (±18) min in group II, p <0,001. No statistically relevant differences were observed in postoperative morbidity: group I - 51.9% and group II - 45,1% (p = 0.177) and mortality: group I - 3.8% and group II - 2% (p = 0.636).
Conclusions: Frey procedure using single-layer continuous pancreatojejunostomy is safe, fast and less complex method in surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis.
Keywords: Frey procedure; chronic pancreatitis; pancreatojejunostomy.