Background: The rationale for total pancreatectomy in painful, treatment refractory, chronic pancreatitis is pain control. Concomitant islet cell autotransplantation can prevent the loss of islet cell function. This study aimed to systematically examine the impact of total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation on pain and quality of life.
Methods: This meta-analysis was conducted according the Meta-analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guideline. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase were searched for the following terms (1990 through April 2018): total pancreatectomy and chronic pancreatitis. Studies were included when addressing total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation for chronic pancreatitis in adults. Studies that reported no data on pain, endocrine function, or quality of life were excluded. Quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for evaluation of all studies.
Results: We included 15 observational studies evaluating 1,255 patients, of whom 28% had had endoscopic and 23% operative therapy. One year after total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation, the opioid-free rate had improved from between 0% and 15% to 63% (95% CI 46-77), and the insulin-free rate had decreased from between 89.5% and 100% to 30% (95% CI 20-43). An alcoholic etiology was associated with a lesser insulin-free rate after total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation. Quality of life improved statistically after total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation. Publication bias was present for both opioid and insulin outcomes.
Conclusion: In selected patients with painful, treatment refractory, chronic pancreatitis, evidence shows that total pancreatectomy with islet cell autotransplantation is effective for pain control in almost two-thirds of patients, whereas the insulin-free rate is relatively low.
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