title: Laparoscopic palliation of unresectable pancreatic cancers: preliminary results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the feasibility of laparoscopic gastroenteric and cholecystenteric bypass procedures for palliation of inoperable cancer of the pancreas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Teaching hospital, Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  6 patients (4 men and 2 women, range 53-72 years, median 64) who presented between July 1995 and April 1997 with inoperable pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laparoscopic gastroenterostomy for duodenal obstruction. Four patients had already had endoscopic biliary decompression. 2 patients also had laparoscopic cholecystojejunostomy for biliary obstruction at the time of the laparoscopic gastroenterostomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The procedure was completed laparoscopically in all patients. There was no perioperative mortality and morbidity was low (1 bleeding from the drain and 1 paralytic ileus). The median postoperative stay was 4.5 days (range 4-6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic gastroenterostomy, together with cholecystojejunostomy in selected patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer, offers a less invasive alternative to open surgery with a short hospital stay and rapid return to normal activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Surgery, University of Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casaccia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Diviacco
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Molinello
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Danovaro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casaccia
mesh_terms: D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D004380:Duodenal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005763:Gastroenterostomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*