Duodenum-preserving resection and Roux-en-Y pancreatic jejunostomy in benign pancreatic head tumors

This study was conducted to explore the feasibility of partial pancreatic head resection and Roux-en-Y pancreatic jejunostomy for the treatment of benign tumors of the pancreatic head(BTPH). From November 2006 to February 2009, four patients(three female and one male) with a mean age of 34.3 years(range: 21-48 years) underwent partial pancreatic head resection and Roux-en-Y pancreatic jejunostomy for the treatment of BTPH(diameters of 3.2-4.5 cm) using small incisions(5.1-7.2 cm). Preoperative symptoms include one case of repeated upper abdominal pain, one case of drowsiness and two cases with no obvious preoperative symptoms. All four surgeries were successfully performed. The mean operative time was 196.8 min(range 165-226 min), and average blood loss was 138.0 m L(range: 82-210 m L). The mean postoperative hospital stay was 7.5 d(range: 7-8 d). In one case, the main pancreatic duct was injured. Pathological examination confirmed that one patient suffered from mucinous cystadenoma, one exhibited insulinoma, and two patients had solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms. There were no deaths or complications observed during the perioperative period. All patients had no signs of recurrence of the BTPH within a follow-up period of 48-76 mo and had good quality of life without diabetes. Partial pancreatic head resection with Roux-en-Y pancreatic jejunostomy is feasible in selected patients with BTPH.

Central pancreatectomy:a new technique for resection of selected pancreatic tumors

BACKGROUND:Pancreatic tumors located in the neck region usually require pancreaticoduodenectomy or splenopancreatectomy.For small benign tumors enucleation is not usually feasible due to their size and localization;then pancreatectomy is often needed.Central pancreatectomy consists of a limited resection of the midportion of the pancreas and can be offered in benign and low-grade malignant tumors of the neck of the pancreas.The study aimed to evaluate whether central pancreatectomy has a place in pancreatic surgery. METHODS:In this study,which covered a period of 14 months,we performed central pancreatectomy in four selected patients.Preoperative evaluation and operative frozen section biopsy in indicated cases allowed proper selection for the procedure.Operative details,complications and follow-up were recorded. RESULTS:Four patients,two with serous cystadenoma,and one with an islet cell tumor,and one with a hydatid cyst, were identified for the procedure.The mean tumor size was 3 cm,the mean operative time was 217.5 minutes,and the mean blood loss was 382.5 ml.There was no morbidity or mortality in this series.No endocrine or exocrine deficiency was observed in any patient during a mean follow-up of 22.7 months. CONCLUSIONS:Central pancreatectomy is a procedure that offers excellent results in benign and low-grade malignant tumors.It preserves functional elements(endocrine and exocrine)of the pancreas and also eliminates the infective and hematological effects of splenectomy.Thus,central pancreatectomy should be included in the armamentarium of pancreatic surgery,and in order to obtain good results,proper indications and adequate experience are recommended.

Diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA of small(≤15 mm) solid pancreatic lesions using a 25-gauge needle

Background: Early detection of small solid pancreatic lesions is increasingly common. To date, few and contradictory data have been published about the relationship between lesion size and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration(EUS-FNA) diagnostic yield. The aim of this study was to assess the relation between the size of solid pancreatic lesions and the diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA using a 25-gauge needle in a center without available rapid on-site evaluation.Methods: In the retrospective cohort study, we selected patients who underwent EUS-FNA for solid pancreatic lesions with a 25-gauge needle from October 2014 to October 2015. Patients were divided into three groups(≤15 mm, 16–25 mm and >25 mm), and the outcomes were compared.Results: We analyzed 163 patients. Overall adequacy, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 85.2%,81.8%, 93.7%, and 80.4%, respectively. When stratified by size, the sensitivity and accuracy correlated with size(P = 0.016 and P = 0.042, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that lesion size was the only independent factor(P = 0.019, OR = 4.76) affecting accuracy. The role of size as an independent factor affecting accuracy was confirmed in a separate multivariate analysis, where size was included in the model as a covariate(P = 0.018, OR = 1.08).Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that, in the absence of rapid on-site evaluation, mass size affects the accuracy of EUS-FNA of solid pancreatic lesions.

Laparoscopic versus open distal pancreatectomy for benign or premalignant pancreatic neoplasms: a two-center comparative study

Objective： To compare the peri-operative outcomes for laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy（LDP） and open distal pancreatectomy（ODP） for benign or premalignant pancreatic neoplasms in two institutions. Methods： This prospective comparative study included 91 consecutive patients who underwent LDP（n=45） or ODP（n=46） from Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2012. Demographics, intra-operative characteristics, and post-operative outcomes were compared. Results： The median operating time in the LDP group was（158.7±38.3） min compared with（92.2±24.1） min in the ODP group（P〈0.001）. Patients had lower blood loss in LDP than in the ODP（（122.6±61.1） ml vs.（203.1±84.8） ml, P〈0.001）. The rates of splenic conservation between the LDP and ODP groups were similar（53.3% vs. 47.8%, P=0.35）. All spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomies were conducted with vessel preservation. LDP also demonstrated better post-operative outcomes. The time to oral intake and normal daily activities was faster in the LDP group than in the ODP group（（1.6±0.5） d vs.（3.2±0.7） d, P〈0.01;（1.8±0.4） d vs.（2.1±0.6） d, P=0.02, respectively）, and the postoperative length of hospital stay in LDP was shorter than that in ODP（（7.9±3.8） d vs.（11.9±5.8） d, P=0.006）. No difference in tumor size（（4.7±3.2） cm vs.（4.5±1.8） cm, P=0.77） or overall pancreatic fistula rate（15.6% vs. 19.6%, P=0.62） was found between the groups, while the overall post-operative complication rate was lower in the LDP group（26.7% vs. 47.8%, P=0.04）. Conclusions： LDP is safe and effective for benign or premalignant pancreatic neoplasms, featuring lower blood loss and substantially faster recovery.

Laparoscopic duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection:a narrative review

Pancreatic surgery is one of the most complex and challenging fields in abdominal surgery associated with extensive surgical trauma,damage to adjacent organs,a long operation time and a high incidence of postoperative complications.Since the early 1990s,laparoscopic techniques have been applied to a growing number of pancreas surgeries,and great progress has been achieved in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy.As surgeons become proficient in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy techniques,laparoscopic techniques are gradually used in other pancreatic surgeries,such as laparoscopic distal pancreatectomies and laparoscopic duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection(LDPPHR),which may benefit patients by reducing postoperative pain and hospital stays and providing a quick recovery to normal activity.Recently,a great number of literature have introduced LDPPHR.It is a good surgical method for benign and low-grade malignant tumors of the pancreatic head.Although LDPPHR is technically feasible,it is not yet generally practicable and limited to highly skilled endoscopic surgeons,and the long-term results after LDPPHR are still not well defined.This article aims to provide a literature review of LDPPHR to assess its feasibility,safety,postoperative recovery,and future outlook according to early experiences of this technique.