Laparoscopic transgastric pancreatic necrosectomy for infected pancreatic necrosis

Secondary infection of pancreatic necrosis is an indication for surgical debridement, and has traditionally been treated by laparotomy, and more recently by laparoscopic transmesocolic or transgastrocolic and retroperitoneoscopic approaches. This report describes and evaluates the safety and feasibility of a laparoscopic transgastric approach to extensive necrosectomy for infected pancreatic necrosis.

A 66-year-old man developed severe acute pancreatitis with more than 50% necrosis of the body and some necrosis of the tail of the gland. Clinical deterioration with respiratory and renal impairment at 2 weeks prompted a computed tomogram (CT) guided fine-needle aspiration of the necrosis, which proved to be infected with Gram-negative bacilli. A favorable response to supportive therapy and systemic antibiotics enabled a cautious deferment of surgery to week 6 of the illness while the necrosis and its inflammatory wall matured. A laparoscopic transgastric pancreatic necrosectomy with drainage of an associated abscess was performed.

Intraoperative blood loss was minimal, and Operative time was 270 min. The debrided pancreas (30 g) was infected with anaerobes. The patient made an uneventful recovery and was discharged on postoperative day 14. At this writing, he remains well after 2 months of follow-up evaluation.

Laparoscopic transgastric pancreatic necrosectomy appears to be a safe and effective minimally invasive approach for the debridement and internal drainage of infected pancreatic necrosis in the selected patient. Further experience with this technique is needed to define the selection criteria and its limitations, advantages, and disadvantages.