Pancreas Drainage Procedures
Conditions like chronic pancreatitis often cause the bile duct to become blocked or narrowed. Several procedures are available to help improve the flow of bile in the patient’s biliary tract. Pseudocysts of the pancreas are a common result of acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, or abdominal trauma that has impacted the pancreas. Pseudocysts are most often found in the body and tail of the pancreas but also may be found in the neck and head of the pancreas. Treatment of cysts that do not regress spontaneously usually require drainage. The ideal time to drain these pseudocysts is 6-to-8 weeks after their appearance.

Patients with chronic recurrent calcific pancreatitis may be candidates for drainage by a technique called anastomosis. The “anastamosis” is when a new pathway is created by surgically connecting the pancreatic duct the jejunum (a part of the small intestine). This type of pancreatic damage usually develops after long-time alcohol abuse. It is often accompanied by diabetes, poor nutrition, and steatorrhea.

If the pancreatic duct is obstructed, surgeons may need to decompress it in order to relieve the patient’s persistent pain and attempt to prevent further progressive destruction of the pancreas.

Pancreatic drainage procedures can also be performed by the use of gastrointestinal endoscopy.