title: Gastroscopic-assisted laparoscopic cystogastrostomy in the management of pseudocysts of the pancreas.
abstract: Once pancreatic pseudocysts become persistent, unresolving, and symptomatic, surgical drainage is mandatory. Between January 1998 and December 2001, we performed five laparoscopic cystogastrostomies for such pseudocysts with the simultaneous use of the gastroendoscope. The mean cyst diameter was 20 cm (range, 18.5-24). In the first four cases, the anterior wall of the stomach was entered through two 10-mm balloon cannulae under gastroscopic guidance. By introducing the laparoscope through one port and a harmonic scalpel through the other, a wide cystogastrostomy was performed. In the fifth case, a modification of the above technique was carried out. A single 10-mm cannula was used to enter the stomach and, with the use of a side-viewing gastroduodenoscope as the camera source, the harmonic scalpel was used to create the cystogastrostomy. The punctures in the wall of the stomach were repaired with endosutures. The gallbladder was removed in all cases. The mean operating time was 110 minutes (range, 92-128) for the combined procedure. There were no postoperative complications, and the mean hospital stay was 4 days. Postoperative follow-up with ultrasonography over a period of 1 year in each case revealed complete resolution of the cyst. Laparoscopic cystogastrostomy using harmonic scalpel under gastroscopic control is an effective and rapid method of surgically managing such lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Laproscopic Surgery, Sir Gangaram Hospital, Rajinder Nagar, India. surgicalrama2000@usa.net
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Mandhir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy / Q000379:methods; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010192:Pancreatic Pseudocyst / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D020535:Video-Assisted Surgery