This study was undertaken to investigate the incidence of postoperative
hyperamylasemia and
amylase levels of intraperitoneal drainage in 106 patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. The results were as follows: 1. Postoperative
hyperamylasemia was found in 36.8% of all patients, with higher incidence of
hyperamylasemia being in accordance with greater surgical intervention to the pancreas. 2. The
isoamylase pattern of postoperative
hyperamylasemia was dominant in the salivary type. 3. The levels of such serum pancreatic
enzymes as
lipase,
trypsin and
elastase 1 were higher in the pancreatic-type group than in the salivary-type group, particularly with the
elastase 1 levels being statistically higher in the former. 4. Increases in peritoneal
amylase activity were found in those cases of greater surgical intervention to the pancreas, postoperative
hyperamylasemia and higher serum pancreatic
isoamylase levels. 5. Diagnosis of postoperative
pancreatitis was confirmed in one case by clinical and laboratory findings and CT examination. It might be concluded that postoperative high peritoneal
amylase levels suggest occurrence or possible occurrence of postoperative
pancreatitis.