Acute pancreatitis comprises a range of diseases. Clinical manifestations range from mild symptoms to a life-threatening or life-ending process. Operative management is focused on managing the acute complications, the long-term sequelae, or the prevention of recurrent pancreatitis. Using the least amount of intervention is the goal. However, the evolution of videoscopic and endoscopic techniques have greatly expanded the tools available. This article provides a review of the three major categories of operations: ameliorating the emergent problems associated with the inflammatory state, ameliorating chronic sequelae, and prevention of a subsequent episode.
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