Single-centre experience of laparoscopic pancreatic surgery

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Gastrointestinal Surgery

Background:

• Laparoscopic resection is established for benign pancreatic tumors.
• Limited data exist for laparoscopic surgery on malignant or larger pancreatic lesions in unselected patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic surgery for pancreatic lesions in an unselected patient cohort.
• To assess outcomes for laparoscopic pancreatic resections, particularly for body and tail lesions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 166 patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for pancreatic lesions (March 1997-March 2009).
• Included procedures were pancreatic resections, explorations, and tissue resections with curative intent.
• Focus on lesions in the pancreatic body and tail, with selected cases from the pancreatic head.

Main Results:

• 170 operations performed, including 138 pancreatic resections.
• Tumor types included endocrine tumors (31.0%), pancreatic carcinomas (16.4%), and cystic tumors (28.1%).
• Overall morbidity was 16.5%, with fistula being the most common complication (10.0%). Three hospital deaths (1.8%) occurred. Median hospital stay was 4 days.

Conclusions:

• Laparoscopic resection of pancreatic body and tail lesions is safe and feasible in unselected patients.
• This approach should be considered the preferred method in specialized centers for this patient group.
• Minimally invasive pancreatic surgery demonstrates acceptable outcomes for a range of pancreatic pathologies.