Laparoscopic surgery in distal pancreatic tumors

Abstract

Objective: Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy is increasingly being used in the surgical treatment of corpus and distal pancreatic tumors. In this study, patients who underwent laparoscopic or open distal pancreatectomy for benign or malignant causes were evaluated in terms of tumor characteristics and perioperative outcomes.
Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data from a total of 27 distal pancreatectomy cases performed for benign or malignant causes in the General Surgery Department between January 2013 and December 2015. Groups were compared according to the demographic characteristics of patients, operation type (laparoscopic or open, with splenectomy or spleen preservation), operation time, surgical site infection (superficial, deep wound infection, or intra-abdominal abscess), pancreatic fistula development, and histopathological examination results.
Results: Both groups were similar in terms of age, sex, and body mass index (p=0.42). Tumor diameter was similar (p=0.18). The total number of resected lymph nodes was similar in both groups (p=0.6). Pancreatic fistula developed in one patient in each group. Mean hospital stay duration and the amount of intraoperative bleeding were similar in both groups. The laparoscopy group had a markedly lower overall morbidity rate (p=0.08). There was no mortality observed in the study subjects.
Conclusion: Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy can be safely performed as a minimally invasive procedure in experienced centers and in selected cases without increasing perioperative complication rates, particularly in benign cases. Although oncological outcomes are acceptable for malignant cases, future prospective controlled studies are necessary for more reliable evaluation.

Cite this paper as: Malya FÜ, Bektaşoğlu HK, Hasbahçeci M, Taşçı Y, Kunduz E, Karatepe O, et al. Laparoscopic surgery in distal pancreatic tumors. Turk J Surg 2017; 33: 288-291.
This study was presented at the 12th Annual National Endoscopic Laparoscopic Surgery Congress, 22-26 April 2015, Antalya, Turkey.

Authors declared that the research was conducted according to the principles of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki “Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects” (amended in October 2013).

Written informed consent was obtained from patients who participated in this study.

Externally peer-reviewed.

Concept - F.Ü.M., H.K.B., M.H.; Design - F.Ü.M., H.K.B., M.H.; Supervision - F.Ü.M., K.D., M.H.; Resource - F.Ü.M., K.D., O.K.; Materials - F.Ü.M., Y.T., E.K.; Data Collection and/or Processing - F.Ü.M., H.K.B., Y.T.; Analysis and/or Interpretation - F.Ü.M., K.D., O.K.; Literature Search - F.Ü.M., H.K.B., M.H.; Writing Manuscript - F.Ü.M., H.K.B., M.H.; Critical Reviews - F.Ü.M., O.K., K.D.;

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.