Surgical Therapy for Pancreatic and Periampullary Cancer

Embolize, supercharge, resect: Embolization to enhance hepatic vascularization prior to en-bloc pancreas and arterial resection

INTRODUCTION

Embolization could increase the resectability of pancreatic tumors by supercharging visceral arterial perfusion prior to pancreatic surgery with arterial en-bloc resection. Its indications, however, are controversial.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the results of a single-center database of patients undergoing pancreatic surgery with arterial resection (AR) after preoperative arterial embolization (PAE) to increase hepatic vascular flow and spare arterial reconstruction.

RESULTS

PAE was planned in 15 patients with arterial involvement due to pancreatic tumors. Three patients were excluded due to the finding of irresectable disease during surgery. Twelve cases were resected because of pancreatic cancer (10), distal cholangiocarcinoma (1), and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (1). Arterial involvement in these cases required embolization of the substitute right hepatic artery (RHA) (5), left hepatic artery (1), and common hepatic artery (CHA) (6) to enhance liver vascularization. Two patients presented migration of the vascular plug after PAE. Six pancreatoduodenectomies and 6 distal pancreatectomies were performed, the latter associated with en-bloc celiac trunk and CHA resection. R0 was achieved in 7 out of 12 patients, and pathological vascular involvement was confirmed in 8. Postoperative complications included one patient who developed gastric ischemia and underwent gastrectomy, and one patient who underwent reoperation for acute cholecystitis with liver abscesses.

CONCLUSION

Preoperative arterial embolization before pancreatic surgery with hepatic arterial resection enables surgeons to precondition hepatic vascularization and prevent hepatic ischemia. In addition, this avoids having to perform arterial anastomosis in the presence of pancreatic suture.

Surgical site infection following pancreaticoduodenectomy in a referral cancer center in Mexico

BACKGROUND

Pancreaticoduodenectomy is the standard treatment for resectable periampullary cancer. Surgical site infections (SSI) are common complications with increased morbidity. The study aimed to describe the prevalence, risk factors, microbiology, and outcomes of SSI among patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study in a referral cancer center between January 2015 and June 2021. We analyzed baseline patient characteristics and SSI occurrence. Culture results and susceptibility patterns were described. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine risk factors, proportional hazards model to evaluate mortality, and Kaplan-Meier analysis to assess long-term survival.

RESULTS

A total of 219 patients were enrolled in the study; 101 (46%) developed SSI. Independent factors for SSI were diabetes mellitus, preoperative albumin level, biliary drainage, biliary prostheses, and clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula. The main pathogens were Enterobacteria and Enterococci. Multidrug-resistance rate in SSI was high but not associated with increased mortality. Infected patients had higher odds of sepsis, longer hospital stay and intensive care unit stay, and readmission rate. Neither 30-day mortality nor long-term survival was significantly different between infected and non-infected patients.

CONCLUSIONS

SSI prevalence among patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy was high and largely caused by resistant microorganisms. Most risk factors were related to preoperative instrumentation of the biliary tree. SSI was associated with greater risk of unfavorable outcomes; however, survival was unaffected.

The influence of institutional pancreaticoduodenectomy volume on short-term outcomes in the Brazilian public health system: 2008-2021

INTRODUCTION

pancreaticoduodenectomy is a complex surgical procedure that can result in high rates of complications and morbimortality. Due to its complexity, the establishment of referral centers has increased in recent decades. This study aims to evaluate the influence of the institutional volume of pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary cancer on short-term outcomes in the Brazilian public health system.

METHODS

this study used a population-based approach and investigated the number of pancreaticoduodenectomies performed by institutions within Brazil's public health system between 2008 and 2021. High-volume institutions were defined as those that performed more than two standard deviations above the mean number of procedures per year. Specifically, if a center performed eight or more pancreaticoduodenectomies annually, it was considered a high-volume institution.

RESULTS

in Brazil, 283 public hospitals performed pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer between 2008 and 2021. Only ten hospitals performed at least eight pancreaticoduodenectomies per year, accounting for approximately 3.5% of the institutions. High-volume institutions had a significantly lower in-hospital mortality rate than low-volume institutions (8 vs. 17%). No significant differences between groups were observed for length of stay, hospitalizations using the ICU, and ICU length of stay. The linear regression model showed that the number of hospital admissions for pancreaticoduodenectomy and age were significantly associated with hospital mortality.

CONCLUSION

institutional pancreaticoduodenectomy volume implies a lowering of in-hospital mortality. The findings of this nationwide study can affect how the public health system manages pancreaticoduodenectomy care.

The effect of preoperative biliary drainage on postoperative complications of pancreaticoduodenectomy: a triple center retrospective study

Background

Biliary obstruction which is a major complication of pancreas and periampullary tumors could result in cholangitis, coagulopathies, gastrointestinal symptoms, and impaired wound healing. Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is still the standard approach for pancreas resection and imposes high risk of morbidity and mortality to patients. To reduce the high risk of PD and address the biliary obstruction, the use of preoperative biliary stenting was increased. However, available literature doubts its efficiency.

Methods

A total of 147 patients who underwent PD between September 2012, and February 2022, at three medical centers were identified. Patients were grouped based on biliary stent placement. Non-jaundiced patients with and without preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) were compared.

Results

The incidence of overall complications (34.2% versus 45.8%) and mortality (17.8% versus 24.3%) did not differ in the PBD group compared to the no PBD group. There was no difference in complications and mortality in non-jaundiced patients with and without PBD. Patients with drainage duration of > 30 days experienced more overall complications compared to patients with less than 30 days drainage duration (12 (50.0%) and three (15.8%) patients, respectively, p-value = 0.019).

Conclusions

PBD does not significantly increase the post-operative burden on patients who undergo PD. However, we cannot overlook the financial burden that PBD places on the patient and the healthcare system, as well as the difficulties related to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Therefore, biliary stenting should not be routinely practiced in the absence of a valid indication, such as severe jaundice, pruritus, cholangitis, delayed surgery for neoadjuvant treatment, or referral to a tertiary facility.

Association of the rate of bilirubin decrease with major morbidity in patients undergoing preoperative biliary drainage before pancreaticoduodenectomy

Objective:

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the rate of bilirubin decrease following preoperative biliary drainage before pancreaticoduodenectomy and postoperative morbidity.

Methods:

Records of patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at the Department of Surgery in Ramathibodi Hospital between January 2008 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were classified into either an adequate or inadequate drainage rate groups according to the bilirubin decrease rate. Major morbidity was defined as higher than grade II in the Clavien-Dindo classification. Risk factors for major morbidity were analyzed by logistic regression analysis.

Results:

In total, 166 patients were included in the study. Major morbidity was observed in 36 patients (21.6%). Adequate biliary drainage rate was observed in 39 patients (23.4%). Patients who had major morbidity were less likely to have come from the adequate biliary drainage rate group than the inadequate group (38.9% vs. 61.1%). However, through multivariate logistic analysis, only body mass index, operative time, and pancreatic duct diameter were independent factors associated with major morbidity, whereas the bilirubin decrease rate was not.

Conclusions:

Bilirubin decrease rate following preoperative biliary drainage has no significant association with major postoperative morbidity after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Influence of non-jaundice stage at diagnosis on clinicopathological features and long-term survival of patients with periampullary carcinomas

The effect of non-jaundice stage at diagnosis on clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with periampullary carcinomas (PACs) remains uncertain.The 504 patients who were pathologically diagnosed with PACs between 2012 and 2017 were retrospective analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival and log-rank tests were used for comparisons between groups.Patients were divided into the non-jaundice group and the jaundice group according to serum total bilirubin (3 mg/dL) at diagnosis. By comparison with the jaundice group, more patients of the non-jaundice group manifested abdominal pain with longer duration. The degree of deterioration of complete blood count, liver function and CA19-9 in the non-jaundice group was significantly lower (P < .001). The non-jaundice group had larger tumor size (P = .001), more duodenal carcinoma and pancreatic carcinoma (P < .001), lower resection rate (P = .001) and less pancreatic and perineural invasion (P = .017, P = .002). The I stage was significantly more common in the non-jaundice group (P < .001). The cumulative 5-year survival of the non-jaundice group was significantly higher (P = .032). Multivariate analysis for all patients demonstrated that CEA level, cell differentiation, chemotherapy, and recurrence were independent prognostic factors.Patients with PACs in a non-jaundice stage at diagnosis showed more favorable clinicopathological features and long-term survival than such patients with jaundice.

Underutilization of Surgery in Periampullary Cancer Treatment

BACKGROUND

Site-specific outcomes of resection for periampullary cancer have not been analyzed on a large, registry-based scale.

METHODS

We assessed data on periampullary cancers from the SEER database. Site- and stage-specific outcomes were analyzed. Resection was compared to no resection.

RESULTS

Resection was the main therapy in stages 1 and 2 (resection vs. no resection, 8644 vs. 7208 patients), was less frequent in stage 3 (1248 vs. 2783 patients) and was rarely-but still-used in stage 4 disease (541 vs. 11,212 patients). Pancreatic head (75.7%), 11.4% distal bile duct, 7.7% ampullary, and 5.3% duodenal cancers. Cancer subtype-independent median survival was 22.0 (resection) vs. 7.0 months (no resection) in stages 1 and 2, 21.0 vs. 8.0 months in stage 3, and 10.0 vs. 3.0 months in stage 4. Subtype-dependent median survival (resection vs. no resection) was 18.0 vs. 5.0 months in pancreatic head, 19.0 vs 4.0 months in distal bile duct, 41.0 vs 7.0 months in ampullary, and 38.0 vs 4.0 months in duodenal adenocarcinoma. On multivariable analysis, patient comorbidities, marital and insurance status, and income all influenced the decision to undergo resection.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgery is still underutilized in the treatment of periampullary cancers. Patients with cancers originating from the duodenum or the ampulla of Vater benefit most from resectional surgery.

Correlation of serum albumin and prognostic nutritional index with outcomes following pancreaticoduodenectomy

BACKGROUND

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is a complex surgical procedure with a high morbidity rate. The serious complications are major risk factors for poor long-term surgical outcome. Studies have reported an association between early postoperative prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and prediction of severe complications after abdominal surgery. However, there have been no studies on the use of early postoperative PNI for predicting serious complications following PD.

AIM

To analyze the risk factors and early postoperative PNI for predicting severe complications following PD.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 238 patients who underwent PD at our hospital between January 2007 and December 2017. The postoperative complications were classified according to the Dindo-Clavien classification. Grade III-V postoperative complications were classified as serious. The risk factors for serious complications were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Overall complications were detected in 157 of 238 patients (65.9%) who underwent PD. The grade III-V complication rate was 26.47% (63/238 patients). The mortality rate was 3.7% (9/238 patients). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that preoperative serum albumin [odds ratio (OR): 0.883, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.80-0.96; P < 0.01] and PNI on postoperative day 3 < 40.5 (OR: 2.77, 95%CI: 1.21-6.38, P < 0.05) were independent factors associated with grade III-V postoperative complications.

CONCLUSION

Perioperative albumin is an important factor associated with serious complications following PD. Low early postoperative PNI (< 40.5) is a predictor for serious complications.