Laparoscopic cystogastrostomy in the management of pancreatic pseudocysts

Abstract

Pancreatic pseudocysts develop following acute or chronic pancreatitis. Majority of the cases resolve spontaneously but some persist beyond six weeks. Active management of pancreatic pseudocysts involves draining of the fluid collection through open surgery, endoscopically, laparoscopically or percutaneously. In our setup, drainage has traditionally been done through open surgery. In this article we present a case of a 61 year old male who developed pancreatic pseudocysts secondary to chronic pancreatitis. Laparoscopic cystogastrostomy was performed and there was no recurrence after three months of follow up. The case presentation highlights the need to offer laparoscopic cystogastrostomy as a method of managing pancreatic pseudocysts in our setup.