Delayed arterial hemorrhage after pancreaticoduodenectomy: is conservation of hepatic arterial flow vital?

Complete embolisation of the proper hepatic artery for delayed haemorrhage after pancreaticoduodenectomy: a case report

Postpancreatectomy haemorrhage (PPH) is a rare and life-threatening complication that can occur after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Recently, radiological intervention has become a first-line approach for the diagnosis and treatment of late PPH in haemodynamically stable patients. Surgical intervention should be performed in haemodynamically unstable patients. We report the case of a 54-year-old man who underwent PD for ampullary carcinoma. On postoperative day (POD) 20, he developed a late PPH in the context of pancreatic fistula that was accompanied by hypotension and tachycardia. Therefore, emergency relaparotomy was performed, but the bleeding site was not detected due to severe adhesions in the surgical field. Thus, urgent angiography was performed immediately, and active bleeding was detected from the distal part of the proper hepatic artery. Coil embolisation of the proper hepatic artery trunk was successfully performed. No intrahepatic abscess or liver failure was subsequently observed, and the patient left our hospital on POD 27. This case shows that radiological intervention is a first choice for the diagnosis and treatment of haemodynamically stable late PPH and that it also might still be a first choice and also be safer and more effective than surgical intervention even with unstable haemodynamics.

Pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery - an uncommon cause of delayed hemorrhage after pancreaticoduodenectomy

Delayed post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH) is a relatively uncommon, but feared, complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). A splenic artery pseudoaneurysm is a rare cause of delayed PPH after a PD. This paper describes the case of a patient with PD used to treat a distal bile duct cholangiocarcinoma complicated with a clinically significant pancreatic fistula and secondary intraabdominal abscess. Computed tomography-guided drainage of the abscess was performed with an apparently favourable outcome; the patient was discharged on postoperative day (POD) 35 and the abdominal drains were removed on POD 50. On POD 80, the patient was readmitted for a severe digestive hemorrhage. Computed tomography revealed a pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery with a subsequent hematoma formation. Immediately, an angiography was performed and coils were successfully mounted. This case illustrates the rare possibility of the development of a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm with severe delayed PPH after PD complicated with a clinically significant pancreatic fistula, even after the patient was discharged from the hospital. An interventional radiology approach represents the first treatment option in hemodynamically stable patients with high success rates.

"Wrapping the gastroduodenal artery stump" during pancreatoduodenectomy reduced the stump hemorrhage incidence after operation

OBJECTIVE

After pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), the postoperative gastroduodenal artery stump (GDAS) hemorrhage is one of the most serious complications. The purpose of this study is to determine whether wrapping the GDAS during PD could decrease the postoperative GDAS hemorrhage incidence.

METHODS

A retrospective review involving 280 patients who underwent PD from 2005 to 2012 was performed. Wrapping the GDAS during PD was defined as "Wrapping the GDAS using the teres hepatis ligamentum during PD". A total of 140 patients accepted the "wrapping" procedure (wrapping group). The other 140 patients didn't apply the procedure (non-wrapping group). Age, sex, preoperative data, estimated intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications, pathologic parameters and hospitalization time were compared between two groups.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between two groups. After wrapping, the incidence of postoperative GDAS bleeding decreased significantly (1/140 vs. 9/140, P=0.01). The rates of the other complications (such as intra-abdominal infection pancreatic fistula, billiary fistula, gastrointestinal bleeding, et al.) showed no significant differences.

CONCLUSIONS

Wrapping the GDAS during PD significantly reduced the postoperative GDAS hemorrhage incidence. And the "wrapping" had no obvious influence on other complications.