Short- and long-term outcomes of the Frey procedure for chronic pancreatitis: a single-center experience and summary of outcomes in Japan

To evaluate the short- and long-term outcomes of the Frey procedure for chronic pancreatitis (CP). The subjects of this study were 12 patients who underwent the Frey procedure for CP between January, 2000 and December, 2016. We assessed pain relief, weight gain, and exocrine/endocrine insufficiency during follow-up. The study population comprised 11 men and 1 woman (91.7% vs. 8.3%; mean age, 50.3 +/- 6.8 years; range 39-61 years). Pancreatitis was caused by alcohol in 9 (75%) patients and was idiopathic in 3 (25%) patients. The mean follow-up period was 82.5 +/- 46.5 months (range 16.9-152.1 months). There was no operative mortality, but three patients (25%) suffered postoperative morbidity. All patients were pain-free at the time of discharge. There was no case of new-onset diabetes mellitus after surgery, although one patient (8.3%) suffered exocrine insufficiency. The body weight and body mass index of all patients improved during follow-up. Only one patient continued to suffer pain in the long term. The findings of this long-term follow-up of patients who underwent the Frey procedure suggest that it offers effective pain relief and is a safe technique for the management of CP.