Infected pancreatic necrosis: translumbar approach and management with retroperitoneoscopy.

HYPOTHESIS The extraperitoneal translumbar approach and retroperitoneoscopy are useful in the treatment and follow-up of patients with infected pancreatic necrosis. DESIGN Descriptive study. SETTING University hospital. PATIENTS Fifteen consecutive patients with infected and drained pancreatic necrosis. INTERVENTIONS Extraperitoneal translumbar approach to drain and retroperitoneoscopy as a method to propose evolutive control. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Morbidity and mortality. RESULTS Four (27%) of 15 patients died, and 3 (20%) of 15 patients experienced complications during hospital admission. CONCLUSIONS The retroperitoneal access to infected pancreatic necrosis has low rates of mortality and morbidity and a low percentage of repeated surgeries, and retroperitoneoscopy facilitates evolutive control of treated infected pancreatic necrosis.