title: Laparoscopic assisted duodenopancreatectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the past few years, minimally invasive therapy for pancreatic diseases has made significant strides but the role of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy is still controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four patients with a mean age of 44 +/- 11 years were chosen for a laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy. Pathological diagnoses were ductal adenocarcinoma in one, neuroendocrine tumor in two, and metastatic malignant melanoma in one.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The procedure was laparoscopically completed in all with a mean operating time, blood loss, and hospital stay of 416 +/- 77 min, 325 +/- 50 ml, and 12 +/- 2 days, respectively. There were no complications attributable to this surgery and there were no deaths. The average number of dissected lymph nodes was 26 +/- 17 (range 16-47). All the patients remained well at a median follow-up of 4.5 months (range 1-10).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It can be inferred from this small but successful experience that laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy can be considered for the treatment of tumors of the pancreas or periampullary region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Vita e Salute University, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132 Milan, Italy. staudacher.carlo@hsr.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Staudacher
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orsenigo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baccari
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Palo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crippa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy / Q000379:methods*