The Puestow procedure (also known as a Puestow-Gillesby procedure, or a lateral pancreaticojejunostomy) is a

surgical technique Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...

used in the treatment of

chronic pancreatitis Chronic pancreatitis is a long-standing inflammation of the pancreas that alters the organ's normal structure and functions. It can present as episodes of acute inflammation in a previously injured pancreas, or as chronic damage with persistent pa ...

. It involves a side-to-side

anastomosis An anastomosis (, plural anastomoses) is a connection or opening between two things (especially cavities or passages) that are normally diverging or branching, such as between blood vessels, leaf#Veins, leaf veins, or streams. Such a connection m ...

of the

pancreatic duct The pancreatic duct, or duct of Wirsung (also, the major pancreatic duct due to the existence of an accessory pancreatic duct), is a duct joining the pancreas to the common bile duct. This supplies it with pancreatic juice from the exocrine pancre ...

and the

jejunum The jejunum is the second part of the small intestine in humans and most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. Its lining is specialised for the absorption by enterocytes of small nutrient molecules which have been previous ...

Technique

The operation involves creating a longitudinal incision along the pancreas while the main

is filleted open longitudinally from the head of the organ to its tail. The duct and pancreas are then attached to a loop of the

small intestine The small intestine or small bowel is an organ in the gastrointestinal tract where most of the absorption of nutrients from food takes place. It lies between the stomach and large intestine, and receives bile and pancreatic juice through the p ...

(pancreaticojejunostomy), which is oversewn to the exposed pancreatic duct in order to allow its drainage. When used in the appropriate setting, pain from chronic pancreatitis can improve. One advantage of this procedure compared to a

Frey's procedure Frey's procedure is a surgical technique used in the treatment of chronic pancreatitis in which the diseased portions of the pancreas head are cored out. A lateral pancreaticojejunostomy (LRLPJ) is then performed in which a loop of the jejunum is ...

is that pancreatic tissue is preserved, which may be of critical importance in patients with

exocrine Exocrine glands are glands that secrete substances on to an epithelial surface by way of a duct. Examples of exocrine glands include sweat, salivary, mammary, ceruminous, lacrimal, sebaceous, prostate and mucous. Exocrine glands are one of two ...

endocrine The endocrine system is a messenger system comprising feedback loops of the hormones released by internal glands of an organism directly into the circulatory system, regulating distant target organs. In vertebrates, the hypothalamus is the neu ...

insufficiency from their chronic pancreatitis.

Indications

A Puestow procedure is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic chronic pancreatitis patients with pancreatic ductal obstruction and a dilated main pancreatic duct. The main pancreatic duct needs to be 6mm in diameter in the body of the pancreas for this procedure to be possible.

Limitations

One of the problems that can lead to failure of the Puestow procedure is that pain can persist due to failure to drain the pancreatic duct on the head of the pancreas. A

is an alternative surgical procedure to the Puestow that allows for better drainage of the head, but pancreatic tissue is removed.

Eponym

It is named for the American surgeon Charles Puestow (1902–1973).

References

External links