Preoperative Stenting for Benign and Malignant Periampullary Diseases: Unnecessary if Not Harmful

EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Recent years have witnessed significant advances in the imaging, molecular profiling, and systemic treatment of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Despite this progress, the early detection, precise classification, and effective management of CCA remain challenging. Owing to recent developments and the significant differences in CCA subtypes, EASL commissioned a panel of experts to draft evidence-based recommendations on the management of extrahepatic CCA, comprising distal and perihilar CCA. Particular attention is given to the need for accurate classification systems, the integration of emerging molecular insights, and practical strategies for diagnosis and treatment that reflect real-world clinical scenarios.

Current Perioperative Care in Pancreatoduodenectomy: A Step-by-Step Surgical Roadmap from First Visit to Discharge

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is a mainstay in the management of periampullary tumors. Treatment algorithms increasingly employ a multimodal strategy, which includes neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies. However, the successful treatment of a patient is contingent on the execution of a complex operation, whereby minimizing postoperative complications and optimizing a fast and complete recovery are crucial to the overall success. In this setting, risk reduction and benchmarking the quality of care are essential frameworks through which modern perioperative PD care must be delivered. The postoperative course is primarily influenced by pancreatic fistulas, but other patient- and hospital-associated factors, such as frailty and the ability to rescue from complications, also affect the outcomes. A comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing surgical outcomes allows the clinician to risk stratify the patient, thereby facilitating a frank discussion of the morbidity and mortality of PD. Further, such an understanding allows the clinician to practice based on the most up-to-date evidence. This review intends to provide clinicians with a roadmap to the perioperative PD pathway. We review key considerations in the pre-, intra-, and post-operative periods.

[The effect of preoperative biliary stent on postoperative complications after the resection of pancreatic head tumour]

Introduction. A preoperative biliary stent is often inserted because of obstructive jaundice due to pancreatic head tumour. However, it can also be the source of complications too. Aim and method. We retrospectively analyzed our operations which were performed between 01.10.2017 and 31.12.2019 for pancreatic tumour in association with stent related mortality and morbidity. The multiresistant bacteria and the spectrum of microorganism of intraoperative bile samples were investigated. Results. 82 patients were operated on with pancreatic tumour. There were 63 pancreatic head resections, and 19 palliative operations. 63 pancreatic head resections were analyzed. There were 36 open and 27 laparoscopic operations. Extended operation was needed in 12 cases (5 portal vein resections, 2 splenectomies, 1 right hepatolobectomy, 1 right hemicolectomy, 2 liver metastasectomies and 1 hepatic artery resection). The average age of 36 stented patients of which 24 were men and 12 women were 65 and 64 years respectively. The average age of 27 non-stented patients of which 14 were men and 13 were women, were 67.9 and 58 years respectively. The bile culture proved to be positive 30/36(83%) in the stented group and 13/27(48%) in the non-stented group (P = 0.005). The 3 most common bacteria were E coli, Enterococcus fecalis and Klebsiella pneumoniae in both groups followed by the yeast of Candida. 8 multiresistant bacteria were noticed in the stented group. 6 were ESBL producing (P = 0.033) and 2 vancomycine resistant (P = 0.5) bacteria. 3 patients of the stented group and 2 patients of the non-stented group were lost during the first 30 days. There were 4/0 wound infections, 6/2 haemorrhages, 2/2 pancreatic fistulas, and 2/3 abdominal abscesses in the stented vs. non stented groups. The average length of stay was 19.47 days in the stented and 14.62 days in the non-stented groups (P = 0.14). Conclusion. With regard to the fact that biliary stent changes the bacterial flora it is important to choose the proper antibiotic prophylaxis to reduce morbidity. On the basis of our own results and the literature an effective antibiotic therapy is suggested against enterococcus and ESBL producing bacteria. The prophylaxis against yeast in particularly in immunocompromised cases should also be considered. Regular antibiotic resistance check-up is essential.

[Surgery for periampullary pancreatic cancer]

Periampullary neoplasms are a heterogeneous group of different tumor entities arising from the periampullary region, of which pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common subgroup with 60-70%. As typical for pancreatic adenocarcinomas, periampullary pancreatic cancer is characterized by an aggressive growth and early systemic progression. Due to the anatomical location in close relationship to the papilla of Vater symptoms occur at an earlier stage of the disease, so that treatment options and prognosis are overall more favorable compared to pancreatic carcinomas at other locations. Nevertheless, the principles of treatment for periampullary pancreatic cancer are not substantially different from the standards for pancreatic cancer at other locations. A potentially curative approach for non-metastatic periampullary pancreatic cancer is a multimodal therapy concept, which includes partial pancreatoduodenectomy as a radical oncological resection in combination with a systemic adjuvant chemotherapy. As a result, long-term survival can be achieved in patients with favorable prognostic factors. In addition, with the continous development of surgery and systemic treatment potentially curative treatment concepts for advanced initially nonresectable tumors were also established, after completion of neoadjuvant treatment. This article presents the current surgical principles of a radical oncological resection for periampullary pancreatic cancer in the context of a multimodal treatment concept with an outlook for future developments of treatment.

INR and not bilirubin levels predict postoperative morbidity in patients with malignant obstructive jaundice

BACKGROUND

There are no established predictors for deciding between upfront surgery and PBD in pancreatic head malignancy. Once PBD is present, the ideal drainage-time remains elusive. The aim was, to identify predictors in jaundiced patients and ideal PBD-duration.

METHODS

Analysis of 304 patients with pancreatic head malignancy (56% with PBD, n = 170) undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed. Postoperative morbidity and survival were analyzed.

RESULTS

Postoperative complications increased after PBD (98.2% vs. 88.8%; p < 0.001). Patients with PBD received more postoperative antibiotics (42.4% vs. 21.6%; p < 0.001) and wound infections were increased (21.4% vs. 9.4%; p = 0.006). INR predicted postoperative morbidity (p = 0.026), whereas serum-bilirubin (p = 0.708), leucocytes (p = 0.158) and MELD-score (p = 0.444) had no impact. Complications were not different between long (>4 weeks) and short (<4 weeks) PBD-duration (p = 0.608). No life-threatening complications (CDIV + V) occurred after long drainage (0.0% vs. 8.9%; p = 0.028) and long-term survival was not compromised.

CONCLUSIONS

INR is a suitable predictor for postoperative outcome, while serum-bilirubin levels had no predictive value. The INR can help deciding between PBD and upfront surgery. If PBD is inevitable, drainage duration of >4 weeks reduced major complications.

CATEGORY

Clinical study.

A novel nomogram for predicting the risk of major complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients with obstructive jaundice

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to construct and internally validate a nomogram for predicting major complications in obstructive jaundice patients planned to undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).

METHODS

The clinical data of 835 obstructive jaundice patients who underwent PD in a high-volume center were collected and retrospectively analyzed during an 8-year period. Factors affecting the major complication rate were optimized by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis and were incorporated in logistic regression analysis. The performance of this nomogram was evaluated by discrimination, calibration, internal validation and clinical utility.

RESULTS

Predictors included in the model were sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, preoperative biliary drainage (PBD), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), hemoglobin, prealbumin, total bilirubin, transfusion, and pathology category. The model had good discrimination and calibration with a C-index of 0.700. Internal validation generated an acceptable C-index of 0.701. Decision curve analysis indicated this nomogram was clinically useful for predicting the possibility of major complications at a threshold between 1% and 59%.

CONCLUSION

This novel nomogram could be conveniently used and assist in decisions for PBD in clinical practice.

Epidemiological profile, referral routes and diagnostic accuracy of cases of acute cholangitis among individuals with obstructive jaundice admitted to a tertiary-level university hospital: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Obstructive jaundice may lead to ominous complications and requires complex diagnostic evaluations and therapies that are not widely available.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the epidemiological profile, referral routes and diagnostic accuracy at admittance of cases of acute cholangitis among patients with obstructive jaundice treated at a referral unit.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Cross-sectional study at a tertiary-level university hospital.

METHODS

Patients with obstructive jaundice who were treated by means of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, resection and/or surgical biliary drainage were evaluated. The main variables analyzed were epidemiological data, referral route, bilirubin levels and time elapsed between symptom onset and admittance and diagnosing of acute cholangitis at the referral unit. The accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of acute cholangitis was compared with a retrospective analysis on the medical records in accordance with the Tokyo criteria.

RESULTS

Female patients predominated (58%), with an average age of 56 years. Acute cholangitis was detected in 9.9% of the individuals; application of the Tokyo criteria showed that the real prevalence was approximately 43%. The main referral route was direct contact (31.8%) and emergency care (29.7%); routing via official referral through the public healthcare system accounted for 17.6%, and internal referral from other specialties, 20%. The direct route with unofficial referral was the most important route for cases of neoplastic etiology (P < 0.01) and was the fastest route (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a deficiency in the official referral routes for patients with obstructive jaundice. The accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of acute cholangitis was poor. Wider dissemination of the Tokyo criteria is essential.