Complications and follow-up after pancreas-preserving total duodenectomy for duodenal polyps

Patients with duodenal polyps are at risk of duodenal cancer. Pancreas-preserving total duodenectomy (PPTD) is an alternative to partial pancreatoduodenectomy.

Twelve patients (seven men and five women) with a median age of 59 (interquartile range (i.q.r.) 50-67) years underwent PPTD for large (over 20 mm) solitary polyps or multiple (more than three) duodenal polyps confined to the muscularis propria on endoscopic ultrasonography.

Median hospital stay was 21 (i.q.r. 10-36) days with no deaths and no blood transfusion. Six patients developed postoperative complications, one requiring reoperation. Histology demonstrated gastrointestinal stromal tumour in three patients, low-grade dysplasia in one, moderate-grade dysplasia in eight and duodenal intramucosal adenocarcinoma in one. During a median follow-up of 20 (i.q.r. 8-41) months one patient experienced recurrent acute pancreatitis (due to hypertriglyceridaemia) and one developed a jejunal adenocarcinoma in the neoduodenum.

The morbidity of PPTD is similar to that of partial pancreatoduodenectomy, but PPTD preserves the whole pancreas and reduces the number of anastomoses.