Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency after non-pancreatic upper gastrointestinal surgery: meta-analysis.

Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency occurs when enzymes from the pancreas are unable to help digest food. Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency is known to cause disruptive symptoms after gastrointestinal surgery. Although such symptoms are well known after pancreatic surgery, after other gastrointestinal operations, including bariatric metabolic surgery and oesophagogastric cancer resection, pancreatic exocrine insufficiency is often overlooked as a cause of both symptoms and poor nutrition. This study looked at, and combined, all the current evidence on the rate of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency after these operations, the way it is diagnosed, and how it is treated. Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency may be more common than previously thought after bariatric metabolic surgery or oesophagogastric surgery, and clinicians working with these patients should have a low threshold for starting treatment.