Pancreaticogastrostomy decreased relaparotomy caused by pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy compared with pancreaticojejunostomy.
OBJECTIVE
Pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) is associated with a lower relaparotomy rate following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) than pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ).


METHODS
Retrospective clinical trial.


METHODS
Department of digestive surgery and transplantation.


METHODS
Between 1987 and 2001, 250 consecutive patients underwent PD in our institution. Among them, 83 patients underwent PJ and 167, PG.


METHODS
Preoperative clinicopathological features, intraoperative parameters, in-hospital mortality, postoperative morbidity, pancreatic fistula (PF), relaparotomy rates, and length of hospital stay were analyzed and compared between 2 reconstructive methods, PJ and PG, after PD.


RESULTS
The morbidity rate, including PF, was lower in the PG group (38.3%) than in the PJ group (53.0%; P =.02). The mortality rate did not differ between the PG group (2.9%) and PJ group (2.4%). Conversely, the incidence of PF and the mean +/- SD length of hospital stay were significantly lower in the PG group (2.3% and 17.2 +/- 7.7 days) than in the PJ group (20.4% and 23.3 +/- 11.7 days; P<.001 for both variables). Moreover, the overall relaparotomy rate was significantly lower in the PG group (4.7%) than in the PJ group (18.0%; P =.001). Nine (52.9%) of 17 patients with PF in the PJ group underwent relaparotomy. These 9 patients underwent subsequent completion pancreatectomy (n = 7) or removal of peripancreatic necrotized tissue (n = 2) with a postoperative mortality rate of 22.2%. However, no patient required relaparotomy for PF in the PG group because medical therapy succeeded in all 4 patients with PF. Moreover, no mortality related to PF occurred in the PG group.


CONCLUSIONS
The PG procedure is a safe method of reconstruction after PD, with a significantly lower rate of PF and relaparotomy.
Oussoultzoglou
Elie
E
Centre de Chirurgie Viscérale et de Transplantation, Hôpital Universitaire de Hautepierre, Strasbourg, Strasbourg Cedex, France.
Bachellier
Philippe
P
Bigourdan
Jean-Marc
JM
Weber
Jean-Christophe
JC
Nakano
Hiroshi
H
Jaeck
Daniel
D
D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D010185:Pancreatic Fistula / Q000601:surgery*; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D010193:Pancreaticojejunostomy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome