[Arguments for a revised concept in the therapy of acute pancreatitis. On the indications for conservative, endoscopic and surgical procedures]. / Argumente für ein abgewandeltes Konzept in der Therapie der akuten Pankreatitis. Zur Indikation konservativer, endoskopischer und chirurgischer Verfahren.

From January 1, 1973 to October 31, 1987 we treated 271 patients suffering from acute pancreatitis at the Department of General Surgery at the University Münster, Westphalia. 159 (58.7%) presented with stage I, 75 (27.7%) with stage II, and 39 (13.6%) with stage III disease according to the Mainz classification for acute pancreatitis. In 147 cases an endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) was performed. At a low method-specific morbidity (5.4%) we observed a mortality rate of 0% for stage I, 8% for stage II, and 22% for stage III. Altogether, a mortality rate of 13.3% was calculated for the necrotizing forms of acute pancreatitis after EST, compared to 36.5% for a conventionally (conservative therapy, operation) treated group.