This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on Web of Science (8)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Report of Six Illustrative Cases

Robert E. Hermann, MD; Norman R. Hertzer, MD

AMA Arch Surg. 1970;100(1):71-75.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

The timing of corrective biliary surgery, after an episode of acute pancreatitis due to biliary disease, is a concern to surgeons. Acute pancreatitis frequently results from biliary disease, and it is wise to avoid operative manipulation in this area until the pancreatitis has subsided. In most patients the acute symptoms will promptly subside under medical treatment with nasogastric suction, anticholinergic drugs, replacement of fluid, antibiotics (when indicated), and medication for pain. The surgeon, having identified the presence of coexisting biliary and pancreatic inflammation, must decide on the appropriate time for cholecystectomy or biliary exploration. For the few patients in whom the acute symptoms do not subside, or in whom they worsen, the surgeon must weigh the risks of continued medical therapy against those of immediate operation.

In many patients the pancreatitis is so mild as to be only suspected from an increase in the serum amylase content during an episode . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Cleveland

From the Department of General Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland.

Footnotes
Submitted for publication June 27, 1969.

Reprint requests to Department of General Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland 44106 (Dr. Hermann).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?