Laparoscopic Pancreatic Resections for Cancer: Pushing the Boundaries

Laparoscopic pancreatic resection (distal pancreatectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy, including pancreaticoduodenectomy with vascular resections) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a technically demanding procedure, and the available evidence from selected high-volume centers suggest it to be well within the oncological principles of surgery for cancer, though this remains to be proven in a randomized study. This review summarizes the present status of laparoscopic resections for pancreatic cancer.