Treatment of Recurrent Pancreatitis by Transduodenal Sphincterotomy and Exploration of the Pancreatic Duct

THE management of the patient with recurrent pancreatitis is controversial. It will probably continue to be so until there is a better understanding of the underlying causative mechanisms. Of the various theories of the cause of pancreatitis the two that have received most attention in recent years are those of obstruction to outflow of the pancreatic secretions from the duct system, and reflux from the common duct into the pancreatic duct through a "common channel" formed by the entrance of the duct of Wirsung into the common bile duct proximal to the papilla of Vater.Retrograde injection of an irritating . . .