Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy procedures in a rural hospital

Laparoscopic surgical procedures are replacing traditional, more invasive surgical procedures--even in small, rural hospitals. During a period of 12 months, the authors performed laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy procedures on two patients at a 20-bed hospital in North Dakota. Although surgeons in other countries have reported performing laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy procedures, this is the first published report of a US surgical team performing this procedure. Laparoscopic dissection of the distal pancreas allows preservation of patients' spleens, decreases postoperative pain and length of hospitalization, and permits patients to return to activities of daily living more quickly than with traditional open pancreatectomy procedures.