ObjectiveTo summarize the key technical points, applicability, feasibility, and safety of laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (LSPDP).MethodA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 22 patients who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from September 2016 to November 2019, all patients planned to receive LSPDP.ResultsTwenty of the 22 patients successfully completed LSPDP, and 2 patients converted to laparotomy. One patient was transferred to laparotomy to suture the damaged splenic artery. The spleen was observed to have no ischemia and the spleen preservation operation was continued. One patient was converted to laparotomy due to the difficulty of dissecting the tail of the pancreas which caused by severe abdominal adhesion. The operation time of LSPDP patients was (191±86) minutes (170–480 min), intraoperative blood loss was (365±50) mL (200–1 000 mL), and postoperative hospital stay was (9.9±2.6) days (7–16 d). Six patients of pancreatic fistula occurred after operation, including 3 cases of biochemical fistula, which were cured and discharged after symptomatic treatment, 3 cases of grade B pancreatic fistula, who all improved after anti-inflammatory, acid suppression, enzyme suppression, and double catheter drainage. Twenty patients were interviewed after the operation, and the follow-up time was 3–24 months (median of 15 months). During the follow-up period, no patient had recurrence or metastasis.ConclusionsUnder the conditions of strict screening of suitable cases, adequate preoperative imaging evaluation, intraoperative fine manipulation, and the application of appropriate operating instruments and cutting closure devices, LSPDP is safe and feasible to treat benign tumors of the pancreatic body and tail and some borderline tumors. During the operation, attention should be paid to the reasonable treatment and protection of splenic arteries and veins.
ObjectiveTo investigate perioperative safety of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) in elderly patients (age ≥70 years old).MethodsThe retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathologic data of the patients underwent LPD and open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) in the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from January 2016 to December 2019 were collected. The patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were divided into LPD with aged ≥70 years old group (group A), OPD with aged ≥70 years old group (group B), and LPD with aged <70 years old group (group C). The baseline data, intraoperative situations, and postoperative situations were compared between the group A and group B, and between the group A and group C, respectively.Results① There were no statistic differences in the age, gender, body mass index, hemoglobin, albumin, and total bilirubin, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, and comorbidity index before operation between the group A and group B (P>0.05). However, there were statistic differences in the hemoglobin, albumin, ASA grade, and comorbidity index before operation between the group A and group C (P<0.05). ② There were no significant differences in the operation time between the group A and group B (P>0.05), but the intraoperative blood loss of the group A was significantly less than the group B (P<0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and conversion rate had no significant differences between the group A and group C (P>0.05). ③ There were no significant differences in the pathological pattern, tumor size, R0 resection rate, reoperative rate, and postoperative 90 d mortality between the group A and group B, and between the group A and group C, respectively. For the elderly patients, cases in the ICU, overall complications, specific complications (except for delayed gastric emptying) and Clavien-Dindo classification of complication after operation had no significant differences between the group A and group B (P>0.05), but there were more harvesting lymph nodes, lower postoperative pain score, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and less delayed gastric emptying cases in the group A than the group B (P<0.05). For the patients accepted LPD, there were no significant differences in the harvesting lymph nodes, postoperative pain score, postoperative hospital stay, and specific complications (except for pulmonary infection rate) between the group A and the group C (P>0.05), but the postoperative cases in the ICU were more, pulmonary infection rate was higher, overall complications rate and the ratio of Clavien-Dindo Ⅲ–Ⅳ classification of complication were higher in the group A as compared with the group C (P<0.05). ConclusionCompared with OPD, LPD might have some advantages in blood loss, harvesting lymph nodes, and recovery after surgery, even though perioperative safety of LPD in elderly patients is inferior to younger patients.