Chronic pancreatitis: Long-term pain relief with or without surgery, cancer risk, and mortality

To determine the natural history of chronic pancreatitis (CP), we retrospectively studied 193 consecutive patients who had at least one hospitalization for the control of pain or a complication of CP by examining the hospital records and by using a standard questionnaire. Alcohol (66%) was the major cause of CP and the cause was unknown in 21%. Pain was the presenting symptom in 93%. Pancreatic calcification was observed in 41% (alcoholic 54% vs. nonalcoholic 19%; OR = 6.7, CI = 2.7, 14.3; p < 0.0001). Diabetes (28%), malabsorption (16%), pseudocysts (21%) and pancreatic (3%) or extrapancreatic malignancy (5%) were the main complications. 43% had surgical intervention for pain relief, 10% had either endoscopic sphincterotomy or surgical sphincteroplasty and 16% had surgery for complications. Surgical or endoscopic intervention was more commonly performed in nonalcoholics compared with alcoholics (OR = 12.8, CI = 3.6, 53.9; p < 0.0001). However, if sphincterotomy and sphincteroplasty were excluded, the total number of surgical procedures for pain relief was similar in both groups. Complete follow-up information was available in 107 patients with a mean duration of follow-up of 10 years (range, 1-28 years); 27 patients died during the follow-up; 5, 10 and 15 year mortality was 14%, 18% and 20% respectively. The mortality was significantly higher in patients with alcoholic CP than in nonalcoholic CP (35% vs. 10%; OR = 1.4, 18.7; p = 0.005). Of the 80 patients who were alive and had complete long-term follow-up, pain improved in 62 patients, remained unchanged in 17 and worsened in one. Pain improved in 34 of 41 (83%) patients who had surgical intervention for pain, 7 of 9 patients (78%) who had surgery for complications, 4 of 7 (57%) who had sphincter ablation and 17 of 23 patients (74%) who had nonprocedural treatment. Long-term pain relief was similar in patients with alcoholic and nonalcoholic pancreatitis.