title: Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy for insulinoma with preservation of the spleen.
abstract: We report on a successful laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy due to insulinoma, preserving the spleen and the splenic vessels in a 29-year-old male patient who presented with repeated syncope due to hypoglycemia. The ultrasound exam did not show the pancreatic lesion; it was only the angiotomography of the pancreas that revealed a 3-cm mass located at the transition from the body to the tail of the pancreas. The laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy was performed using a harmonic scalpel (Ethicon EndoSurgery/UltraCision), without mechanical suturing. There were no intra- or postoperative complications or hypoglycemias during the 6 months of follow-up. When it is performed by experienced laparoscopic surgeons, this is a technically feasible procedure, safe for the treatment of benign lesions of the pancreas body and tail.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Fundação Universidade de Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil. rafaelgiovanardi@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Rafael Omar
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Giovanardi
authors.forename: Henrique João
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Giovanardi
authors.forename: César Augusto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Antonio Nocchi
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Kalil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D010180:Pancreatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D013157:Splenic Artery; D013162:Splenic Vein