The role of imaging ultrasound during pancreatic surgery

Real-time ultrasound imaging was employed at 122 operations for the complications of pancreatitis, adenocarcinoma, and islet cell tumors. Ultrasound was found to be useful in 69% of the operations for pancreatitis and 66% of the operations for tumor. Assistance was provided in diagnosis or definition of pathology. Help in diagnosis consisted in detecting conditions that were not found on preoperative testing or at exploration and excluding conditions that were suspected on the basis of previous diagnostic studies or findings at operation. Better definition of pathology was provided by precise localization of structures, assessment of their size and surrounding anatomy, and distinction of tissue features that helped to recognize their identity. Ultrasound was usually more helpful in defining pathology than in diagnosis. Ultrasound enabled early orientation to important landmarks, reduced the need for contrast x-ray studies, and yielded unique information about the etiology of abnormalities. Although ultrasound has a slow learning curve, we believe that its use during pancreatic operations can significantly aid the surgeon and we recommend its wider application in surgical practice.