Matched-pair analysis of postoperative morbidity and mortality for pancreaticogastrostomy and pancreaticojejunostomy using mattress sutures in soft pancreatic tissue remnants

BACKGROUND:After pancreaticoduodenectomy,the incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula remains high,especially in patients with 'soft' pancreatic tissue remnants.No 'gold standard' surgical technique for pancreaticoenteric anastomosis has been established.This study aimed to compare the postoperative morbidity and mortality of pancreaticogastrostomy and pancreaticojejunostomy for 'soft' pancreatic tissue remnants using modified mattress sutures.METHODS:Seventy-five patients who had undergone pancreaticogastrostomy and 75 who had undergone pancreaticojejunostomy after pancreaticoduodenectomy between 2002 and 2008 were retrospectively compared using matched-pair analysis.A modified mattress suture technique was used for the pancreaticoenteric anastomosis.Patients with an underlying 'hard' pancreatic tissue remnant,as in chronic pancreatitis,were excluded.Both groups were homogeneous for age,gender,and underlying disease.Postoperative morbidity,mortality,and preoperative and operative data were analyzed.RESULTS:There were no significant differences between the groups for the incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula (10.7% in both).Postoperative morbidity and mortality,median operation time,median length of hospital stay,intraoperative blood loss,and the amount of intraoperatively transfused erythrocyte concentrates also did not significantly differ between the groups.Patient age >65 years (P=0.017),operation time >350minutes (P=0.001),and intraoperative transfusion of erythrocyte concentrates (P=0.038) were identified as risk factors for postoperative morbidity.CONCLUSIONS:Our results showed no significant differences between the groups in the pancreaticogastrostomy and pancreaticojejunostomy anastomosis techniques using mattress sutures for 'soft' pancreatic tissue remnants.In our experience,the mattress sutures are safe and simple to use,and pancreaticogastrostomy in particular is feasible and easy to learn,with good endoscopic accessibility to the anastomosis region.However,the location of the anastomosis and the surgical technique need to be individually evaluated to further reduce the incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula.

Chronic pancreatic pain successfully treated by endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreaticogastrostomy using fully covered self-expandable metallic stent

One of the most common symptoms presenting in patients with chronic pancreatitis is pancreatic-type pain.Obstruction of the main pancreatic duct in chronic pancreatitis can be treated by a multitude of therapeutic approaches,ranging from pharmacologic,endoscopic and radiologic treatments to surgical interventions.When the conservative treatment approaches fail to resolve symptomatic cases,however,endoscopic retrograde pancreatography with pancreatic duct drainage is the preferred second approach,despite its well-recognized drawbacks.When the conventional transpapillary approach fails to achieve the necessary drainage,the patients may benefit from application of the less invasive endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided pancreatic duct interventions.Here,we describe the case of a 42-year-old man who presented with severe abdominal pain that had lasted for 3 mo.Computed tomography scanning showed evidence of chronic obstructive pancreatitis with pancreatic duct stricture at genu.After conventional endoscopic retrograde pancreaticography failed to eliminate the symptoms,EUS-guided pancreaticogastrostomy(PGS)was applied using a fully covered,self-expandable,10-mm diameter metallic stent.The treatment resolved the case and the patient experienced no adverse events.EUS-guided PGS with a regular biliary fully covered,self-expandable metallic stent effectively and safely treated pancreatictype pain in chronic pancreatitis.

Feasibility and safety of “bridging” pancreaticogastrostomy for pancreatic trauma in Landrace pigs

BACKGROUND In recent years,we created and employed a new anastomosis method,“bridging”pancreaticogastrostomy,to treat patients with extremely severe pancreatic injury.This surgery has advantages such as short length of surgery,low secondary trauma,rapid construction of shunts for pancreatic fluid,preventing second surgeries,and achieving good treatment outcomes in clinical practice.However,due to the limited number of clinical cases,there is a lack of strong evidence to support the feasibility and safety of this surgical procedure.Therefore,we carried out animal experiments to examine this procedure,which is reported here.AIM To examine the feasibility and safety of a new rapid method of pancreaticogastrostomy,“bridging”pancreaticogastrostomy.METHODS Ten Landrace pigs were randomized into the experimental and control groups,with five pigs in each group.“Bridging”pancreaticogastrostomy was performed in the experimental group,while routine mucosa-to-mucosa pancreaticogastrostomy was performed in the control group.After surgery,the general condition,amylase levels in drainage fluid on Days 1,3,5,and 7,fasting and 2-h postprandial blood glucose 6 mo after surgery,fasting,2-h postprandial peripheral blood insulin,and portal vein blood insulin 6 mo after surgery were assessed.Resurgery was carried out at 1 and 6 mo after the former one to examine the condition of the abdominal cavity and firmness and tightness of the pancreaticogastric anastomosis and pancreas.RESULTS After surgery,the general condition of the animals was good.One in the control group did not gain weight 6 mo after surgery,whereas significant weight gain was present in the others.There were significant differences on Days 1 and 3 after surgery between the two groups but no differences on Days 5 and 7.There were no differences in fasting and 2-h postprandial blood glucose and fasting and 2-h insulin values of postprandial peripheral blood and portal vein blood 6 mo after surgery between the two groups.One month after surgery,the sinus tract orifice/anastomosis was patent in the two groups.Six months after surgery,the sinus tract orifice/anastomosis was sealed,and pancreases in both groups presented with chronic pancreatitis.CONCLUSION“Bridging”pancreaticogastrostomy is a feasible and safe a means of damage control surgery during the early stage of pancreatic injury.

Applying refined pancreaticogastrostomy techniques in pancreatic trauma

We comment on a study titled“Feasibility and safety of"bridging"pancreaticogastrostomy for pancreatic trauma in Landrace pigs”in which ten pigs were randomized to either experimental“bridging”pancreaticogastrostomy(PG)or a control group with a routine mucosa-to-mucosa PG.At six months anastomoses had strictured and closed in both groups.The authors concluded that“bridging”PG is feasible and safe in damage control surgery during the early stage of pancreatic injury.In this letter we comment on the study design,specifically leaving a 2 cm gap between the pancreatic stump and the stomach and highlight the complexity of performing pancreatic anastomoses following trauma pancreaticoduodenectomy as to our experience in a high volume trauma centre.Our data emphasize that pancreatic anastomoses in trauma are complex procedures with significant postoperative morbidity and are best managed collaboratively by trauma and hepatopancreaticobiliary surgical teams with the required technical skills.

Endoscopic pancreatogastric anastomosis in the treatment of symptoms associated with inflammatory diseases of the pancreas

BACKGROUND The outflow of pancreatic juice into the duodenum is often impaired in pancreatic inflammatory diseases.The basis of interventional treatment in these cases is anatomical transpapillary access of the main pancreatic duct during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP),which ensures the physiological outflow of pancreatic juice into the lumen of the digestive tract.However,in some patients,anatomical changes prevent transpapillary drainage of the main pancreatic duct.Surgery is the treatment of choice in such cases.AIM To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic pancreaticogastrostomy under endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)guidance.METHODS Retrospective analysis of treatment outcomes of all patients with acute or chronic pancreatitis who underwent endoscopic pancreatogastric anastomosis under EUS guidance in 2018-2023 at the Department of General,Gastroenterological and Oncological Surgery,Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz,Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń,Poland.RESULTS In 9 patients[7 men,2 women;mean age 53.45(36-66)years],endoscopic pancreatogastric anastomosis under EUS guidance was performed because of the lack of transpapillary access during ERCP.Narrowing of the main pancreatic duct at the head of the pancreas was observed in 4/9 patients(44.44%).Pancreatic fragmentation(disconnected pancreatic duct syndrome)was diagnosed in 3/9 patients(33.33%).In 2/9 patients(22.22%),narrowing of the pancreatoenteric anastomosis was observed after pancreaticoduodenectomy.Technical success of endoscopic pancreaticogastrostomy was observed in 8/9 patients(88.89%).Endotherapeutic complications were observed in 2/9 patients(22.22%).Clinical success was achieved in 8/9 patients(88.89%).The mean follow-up period was 451(42-988)d.Long-term success of endoscopic pancreatogastric anastomosis was achieved in 7/9 patients(77.78%).CONCLUSION Endoscopic pancreaticogastrostomy under EUS guidance is an effective and safe treatment method,especially in the absence of transpapillary access to the main pancreatic duct.

Meta-analysis of pancreaticoduodenectomy prospective controlled trials： pancreaticogastrostomy versus pancreaticojejunostomy reconstruction

Background Pancreaticogastrostomy （PG） has been proposed as an alternative to pancreaticojejunostomy （PJ）, assuming that postoperative complications are less frequent. The aim of this research was to compare the safety of PG with PJ reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Trends and outcomes of pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary tumors: A 25-year single-center study of 1000 consecutive cases

AIM To evaluate the evolution, trends in surgical approaches a n d r e c o n s t r u c t i o n t e c h n i q u e s, a n d i m p o r t a n t lessons learned from performing 1000 consecutive pancreaticoduodenectomies(PDs) for periampullary tumors.METHODS This is a retrospective review of the data of all patients who underwent PD for periampullary tumor during the period from January 1993 to April 2017. The data were categorized into three periods, including early period(1993-2002), middle period(2003-2012), and late period(2013-2017).RESULTS The frequency showed PD was increasingly performed after the year 2000. With time, elderly, cirrhotic and obese patients, as well as patients with uncinate process carcinoma and borderline tumor were increasingly selected for PD. The median operative time and postoperative hospital stay decreased significantly over the periods. Hospital mortality declined significantly, from 6.6% to 3.1%. Postoperative complications significantly decreased, from 40% to 27.9%. There was significant decrease in postoperative pancreatic fistula in the second 10 years, from 15% to 12.7%. There was a significant improvement in median survival and overall survival among the periods.CONCLUSION Surgical results of PD significantly improved, with mortality rate nearly reaching 3%. Pancreatic reconstruction following PD is still debatable. The survival rate was also improved but the rate of recurrence is still high, at 36.9%.

Pancreatogastrostomy vs pancreatojejunostomy after pancreaticoduodenectomy: An updated meta-analysis of RCTs and our experience

BACKGROUND Pancreatoduodenectomy(PD)is one of the most important operations in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery.AIM To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of pancreaticojejunostomy(PJ)and pancreaticogastrostomy(PG).METHODS This meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3.All clinical randomized controlled trials,in which patients underwent PD with pancreaticodigestive tract reconstruction via PJ or PG,were included.RESULTS The search of PubMed,Wanfang Data,EMBASE,and the Cochrane Library provided 125 citations.After further analysis,11 trials were included from nine counties.In all,909 patients underwent PG and 856 underwent PJ.Meta-analysis showed that pancreatic fistula(PF)was a significantly lower morbidity in the PG group than in the PJ group(odds ratio[OR]=0.67,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.53-0.86,P=0.002);however,grades B and C PF was not significantly different between the two groups(OR=0.61,95%CI:0.34-1.09,P=0.09).Postoperative hemorrhage showed a significantly lower morbidity in the PJ group than in the PG group(OR=1.47,95%CI:1.05-2.06,P=0.03).Delayed gastric emptying was not significantly different between the two groups(OR=1.09,95%CI:0.83-1.41,P=0.54).CONCLUSION There is no difference in the incidence of grades B and C PF between the two groups.However,postoperative bleeding is significantly higher in PG than in PJ.Binding PJ or binding PG is a safe and secure technique according to our decades of experience.

Tailored pancreatic reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy: a single-center experience of 892 cases

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic reconstruction following pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD) is still debatable even for pancreatic surgeons. Ideally, pancreatic reconstruction after PD should reduce the risk of postoperative pancreatic fistula(POPF) and its severity if developed with preservation of both exocrine and endocrine pancreatic functions. It must be tailored to control the morbidity linked to the type of reconstruction.This study was to show the best type of pancreatic reconstruction according to the characters of pancreatic stump. METHODS: We studied all patients who underwent PD in our center from January 1993 to December 2015. Patients were categorized into three groups depending on the presence of risk factors of postoperative complications: low-risk group(absent risk factor), moderate-risk group(presence of one risk factor) and high-risk group(presence of two or more risk factors). RESULTS: A total of 892 patients underwent PD for resection of periampullary tumor. BMI >25 kg/m~2, cirrhotic liver, soft pancreas, pancreatic duct diameter <3 mm, and pancreatic duct location from posterior edge <3 mm are risk variables for development of postoperative complications. POPF developed in 128(14.3%) patients. Delayed gastric emptying occurred in 164(18.4%) patients, biliary leakage developed in 65(7.3%) and pancreatitis presented in 20(2.2%). POPF in low-, moderate-and high-risk groups were 26(8.3%), 65(15.7%) and 37(22.7%) patients, respectively. Postoperative morbidity and mortality were significantly lower with pancreaticogastrostomy(PG) in high-risk group, while pancreaticojejunostomy(PJ) decreases incidence of postoperative steatorrhea in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Selection of proper pancreatic reconstruction according to the risk factors of patients may reduce POPF and postoperative complications and mortality. PG is superior to PJ as regards short-term outcomes in high-risk group but PJ provides better pancreatic function in all groups and therefore, PJ is superior in low-and moderate-risk groups.

Considerations on pancreatic exocrine function after pancreaticoduodenectomy

The pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD) procedure may lead to pancreatic exocrine and endocrine insufficiency.There are several types of reconstruction for this kind of operation.Pancreaticogastrostomy(PG) was introduced to reduce the rate of postoperative pancreatic fistula.Although some randomized control trials have shown no differences regarding pancreatic leakage between PG and pancreaticojejunostomy(PJ),recently some reports reveal benefits from the PG over the PJ.Some surgeons concern about the performing of the PG and inactivation of pancreatic enzymes being in contact with the gastric juice,and the detrimental results over the exocrine pancreatic function.The pancreatic exocrine function can be measured with direct and indirect tests.Direct tests have the highest sensitivity and specificity for detection of exocrine insufficiency but require tube placement.Among the tubeless indirect tests,the van de Kamer stool fat analysis remains the standard to diagnose fat malabsorption.The patient compliance and time consuming makes it not so suitable for its clinical use.Fecal immunoreactive elastase test is employed for screening of exocrine insufficiency,is not cumbersome,and has been used to study pancreatic function after resection.We analyze the FE1 levels in our patients after the PD with two types of reconstruction,PG and PJ,and we discuss some considerations about the pancreaticointestinal drainage method after pancreaticoduodenectomy.