Role of original and modified Frey's procedures in chronic pancreatitis

AIM To retrospectively review patients with chronic pancreatitis(CP) treated with Frey's procedures between January 2009 and January 2014.METHODS A retrospective review was performed of patients with CP treated with Frey's procedures between January 2009 and January 2014 in the Department of Pancreatic Surgery. A cross-sectional study of postoperative pain relief, quality of life(Qo L), and alcohol and nicotine abuse was performed by clinical interview, letters and telephone interview in January 2016. Qo L of patients was evaluated with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire(EORTC QLQ-C30) version 3.0. The patients were requested to fill in the questionnaires by themselves via correspondence or clinical interview.RESULTS A total of 80 patients were enrolled for analysis, including 44 who underwent the original Frey's procedure and 36 who underwent a modified Frey's procedure. The mean age was 46 years in the original group and 48 years in the modified group. Thirtyfive male patients(80%) were in the original group and 33(92%) in the modified group. There were no differences in the operating time, blood loss, and postoperative morbidity and mortality between the two groups. The mean follow-up was 50.3 mo in the original group and 48.7 mo in the modified group. There were no differences in endocrine and exocrine function preservation between the two groups. The original Frey's procedure resulted in significantly betterpain relief, as shown by 5-year follow-up(P = 0.032), better emotional status(P = 0.047) and fewer fatigue symptoms(P = 0.028). When stratifying these patients by the M-ANNHEIM severity index, no impact was found on pain relief after the two types of surgery.CONCLUSION The original Frey's procedure is as safe as the modified procedure, but the former yields better pain relief. The severity of CP does not affect postoperative pain relief.

Frey procedure for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis associated with common bile duct stricture

BACKGROUND:The Frey procedure(FP)is the treatment of choice for symptomatic chronic pancreatitis(CP).In cases of biliary stricture,biliary derivation can be performed by choledochoduodenostomy,Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy or,more recently,reinsertion of the common bile duct(CBD)into the resection cavity.The objective of the present study was to evaluate the outcomes associated with each of these three types of biliary derivation.METHODS:We retrospectively analyzed demographic,CPrelated,surgical and follow-up data for patients having undergone FP for CP with biliary derivation between 2004and 2012 in our university medical center.The primary efficacy endpoint was the rate of CBD stricture recurrence.The secondary endpoints were surgical parameters,postoperative complications,postoperative follow-up and the presence of risk factors for secondary CBD stricture.RESULTS:Eighty patients underwent surgery for CP during the study period.Of these,15 patients received biliary derivation with the FP.Eight of the FPs(53.3%)were combined with choledochoduodenostomy,4(26.7%)with choledochojejunostomy and 3(20.0%)with reinsertion of the CBD into the resection cavity.The mean operating time was 390minutes.Eleven complications(73.3%)were recorded,including one major complication(6.7%)that necessitated radiologicallyguided drainage of an abdominal collection.The mean(range)length of stay was 17 days(8-28)and the median(range)follow-up time was 35.2 months(7.2-95.4).Two patients presented stricture after CBD reinsertion into the resection cavity;one was treated with radiologically-guided dilatation and the other underwent revisional Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy.Three patients presented alkaline reflux gastritis(37.5%),one(12.5%)cholangitis and one CBD stricture after FP with choledochoduodenostomy.No risk factors for secondary CBD stricture were identified.CONCLUSIONS:As part of a biliary derivation,the FP gave good results.We did not observe any complications specifically related to surgical treatment of the biliary tract.However,CBD reinsertion into the resection cavity appeared to be associated with a higher stricture recurrence rate.In our experience,choledochojejunostomy remains the"gold standard"for the surgical treatment for CBD strictures.

Chronic pancreatitis:A surgical disease?Role of the Frey procedure

Although medical treatment and endoscopic interven-tions are primarily offered to patients with chronic pancreatitis, approximately 40% to 75% will ultimately require surgery during the course of their disease. Al-though pancreaticoduodenectomy has been considered the standard surgical procedure because of its favorable results on pain control, its high postoperative complica-tion and pancreatic exocrine or/and endocrine dysfunc-tion rates have led to a growing enthusiasm for duodenal preserving pancreatic head resection. The aim of this review is to better understand the rationale underlying of the Frey procedure in chronic pancreatitis and to ana-lyze its outcome. Because of its hybrid nature, combin-ing both resection and drainage, the Frey procedure has been conceptualized based on the pathophysiology of chronic pancreatitis. The short and long-term outcome, especially pain relief and quality of life, are better after the Frey procedure than after any other surgical proce-dure performed for chronic pancreatitis.

Reporting of longitudinal pancreatojejunostomy with partial pancreatic head resection(the Frey procedure) for chronic pancreatitis: A systematic review

Background:Longitudinal pancreatojejunostomy with partial pancreatic head resection(the Frey procedure)is accepted for surgical treatment of painful chronic pancreatitis.However,conduct and reporting are not standardized and thus,making comparisons difficult.This study assesses the reporting standards of this procedure.Data sources:A systematic literature review was performed between January 1987 and January 2020.The keyword and Medical Subject Heading"chronic pancreatitis"was used together with the individual operation term"Frey pancreatojejunostomy".Reports were included if they provided original information on conduct and outcome.Thirty-three papers providing information on 1205 patients constituted the study population.Risk of bias in included reports was assessed.Results:Etiology of chronic pancreatitis(alcohol)was reported in 26 of 28(93%)studies,duration of symptoms prior to surgery in 19(58%)studies and pre-operative opiate use in 12(36%)studies.In terms of morphology,pancreatic duct diameter was reported in 17(52%)studies and diameter of the pancreatic head in 13(39%)studies.In terms of technique,three(9%)studies reported weight of excised parenchyma.There were 9(0.7%)procedure-related deaths.Post-operative follow-up ranged from 6 to 82.5 months.No studies reported post-operative portal hypertension.Conclusions:There is substantial heterogeneity between studies in reporting of clinical baseline,morphology of the diseased pancreas,operative detail and outcome after longitudinal pancreatojejunostomy with partial pancreatic head resection.This critically compromises the comparison between centers and between surgeons.Structured reporting is necessary for clinicians to assess choice of procedure and for patients to make informed choices when seeking treatment for painful chronic pancreatitis.