Prevention of Recurrences in Acute Biliary Pancreatitis

The aim of cholecystectomy in acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) is the prevention of recurrent attacks of the disease. Previously, in mild ABP, a delayed, prophylactic cholecystectomy was recommended 4 to 6 weeks after the disease. This recommendation resulted in a significant number of recurrences of ABP during that period. Thus, the current guidelines recommend early cholecystectomy (EC) during the same hospitalization period as the treatment of mild ABP. However, in moderately severe and severe ABP, as defined by the revised Atlanta criteria, the timing of cholecystectomy remains controversial and unclear.
Source: JAMA Surgery - Category: Sports Medicine Source Type: research