Dual-modality drainage of infected and symptomatic walled-off pancreatic necrosis: Long-term clinical outcomes

Background Management options for symptomatic and infected walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN) have evolved over the past decade from open surgical necrosectomy to more minimally invasive approaches. We reported the use of a combined percutaneous and endoscopic approach (dual modality drainage [DMD]) for the treatment of symptomatic and infected WOPN, with good short-term outcomes in a small cohort of patients. Objective To describe the long-term outcomes of 117 patients with symptomatic and infected WOPN treated by DMD. Design Review of a prospective, internal review board–approved database. Setting Single, North American, tertiary-care center. Patients All patients with symptomatic and infected WOPN treated by DMD at our institution between 2007 and 2012. Intervention DMD of symptomatic and infected WOPN. Main Outcome Measurements Disease-related mortality, pancreaticocutaneous fistula formation, need for early and late surgical intervention, procedure-related adverse events. Results A total of 117 patients underwent DMD for symptomatic and infected WOPN. A total of 103 have completed treatment, with all percutaneous drains removed. Ten patients are still undergoing treatment, and 4 patients died with percutaneous drains in place (3.4% disease-related mortality). For the patients completing therapy, the median duration of follow-up was 749.5 days. No patients required surgical necrosectomy or surgical treatment of DMD-related adverse events; 3 patients required late surgery for pain (n = 2) and gastric outlet obstruction (n = 1). There were no procedure-related deaths. In patients who have completed treatment, percutaneous drains have been removed in 100%; no patients have developed pancreaticocutaneous fistulas. Limitations Single-center design, lack of a comparison group. Conclusion DMD for symptomatic and infected WOPN results in favorable clinical outcomes; complete avoidance of pancreaticocutaneous fistulae, surgical necrosectomy, and major procedure-related adverse events, while maintaining single-digit disease-related mortality.