Further Studies on Postoperative Pancreatitis

ACUTE PANCREATITIS sometimes occurs after upper abdominal operations and it may occasionally occur after operations remote from the pancreas. Although serum amylase levels are valuable in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, the amylase level may rise in conditions other than pancreatitis. This fact adds to the difficulties of interpreting acute abdominal pain in the immediate postoperative period. The etiology of acute postoperative pancreatitis is seldom clear and both this and the incidence of the complication require clarification. The current study represents such a continuing effort to define the problem. It consists of a study of the serum levels of the pancreatic enzymes in the pre- and postoperative period in patients undergoing various operations and a correlation of these enzyme changes with the clinical observations. Materials and Methods A total of 199 patients, chiefly on the surgical ward service, were selected for study. The operative procedures performed on these patients are