Laparoscopic body--tail pancreatic resection for insulinoma

A case of pancreatic insulinoma with a neuroglycopenic syndrome was treated with laparoscopic body--tail pancreatic resection. An en bloc splenectomy was required due to the close anatomic relation of the insulinoma with the splenic vein, as shown on intraoperative ultrasonography. The operative time was 4 h, and blood loss was minimal (<200 ml). Laparoscopic coagulating shears were used for the pancreatic mobilization, and an endoGIA was used for the section of the splenic vessels and the central pancreatic transection. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged in good condition on the 7th postoperative day. We concluded that laparoscopic access in patients with pancreatic disease is not only a valuable way to establish or confirm a diagnosis and assess the severity of the disease but also a safe way to perform distal pancreatic resection.