Management of Moderate and Severe Forms of Acute Pancreatitis

Despite overall reduced mortality in the last decade, MSAP and SAP are devastating diseases associated with mortality ranging from less than 10% to as high as 85%, according to various studies. The management of SAP is complicated because of the limited understanding of the pathogenesis and multi-causality of the disease, uncertainties in outcome prediction and few effective treatment modalities. Generally, sterile necrosis can be managed conservatively in the majority of cases with a low mortality rate (12%). However, infection of pancreatic necrosis can be observed in 25%-70% of patients with necrotizing disease; it is generally accepted that the infected non-vital tissue should be removed to control the sepsis. Laparotomy and immediate debridement of the infected necrotic tissue have been the gold standard treatment for decades. However, several reports have shown that early surgical intervention for pancreatic necrosis could result in a worse prognosis compared to cases where surgery is delayed or avoided. Therefore, several groups worldwide have developed new, minimally invasive approaches for managing infected necrotizing pancreatitis. The applicability of these techniques depends on the availability of specialized expertise and a multidisciplinary team dedicated to the management of SAP and its complications.