[Distal pancreatectomy with conservation of the spleen]

Conventional resection of the body and tail of the pancreas usually involves splenectomy. There are evidence that spleen removal can lead to septic and hematological complications and should, therefore, be avoided when possible. Distal pancreatectomy with spleen conservation has been described by specialized centers with good results. This report describes our experience in 8 cases with conservation of the spleen during the resection of the body and tail of the pancreas. The technique has been applied in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (n = 4), cystic tumors (n = 3) and cystic-papillary tumor (n = 1) with no complications and good late results in all cases.