Pancreatic function after severe acute biliary pancreatitis: the role of necrosectomy.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the recovery of pancreatic function after severe acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP), especially the influence of necrosectomy on endocrine and exocrine functions. METHODS Prospective cohort study including 39 patients with severe ABP. According to need or no need for surgical necrosectomy, patients were further subdivided into 2 groups. Functional pancreatic evaluation was carried out 12 months after the ABP episode. Endocrine function was evaluated by an oral glucose tolerance test and exocrine function by fecal fat excretion, fecal chymotrypsin (FQ), and secretin-cerulein tests (SCT). RESULTS Most of the patients with necrosectomy had an abnormal exocrine pancreati…