PANCREATIC PSEUDOCYST SHOULD BE TREATED BY SURGICAL DRAINAGE

This debate reviews the arguments in favour of surgical or non-surgica l techniques for the management of pancreatic pseudocysts. Surgery pro vides definitive management and has a low risk of recurrence; pancreat ic resection may be required to achieve this. Surgical treatment of pa ncreatic pseudocyst is safe, with little morbidity and low mortality, and surgical drainage allows biopsy of the cyst wall to exclude a cyst ic neoplasm of the pancreas. Percutaneous techniques have the advantag e of low morbidity and mortality, with less discomfort to the patient than a surgical incision. In selected patients, a good result can be a nticipated. The balance of the evidence suggests that both approaches are useful in different patients. Pseudocyst management should be tail ored to each individual case.