Minimally invasive surgery of the pancreas in progress.
BACKGROUND
Laparoscopic pancreatic surgery should be considered as an advanced laparoscopic procedure and should be performed only in institutions with experience in pancreatic surgery by a team with advanced laparoscopic skills.


OBJECTIVE
This review discusses the current status of the laparoscopic approach for inflammatory pancreatic diseases and for benign-appearing pancreatic tumors.


RESULTS
Laparoscopic surgery has been shown to be beneficial in patients with inflammatory tumors located in the body-tail of the pancreas for chronic pancreatitis. Furthermore, patients with pancreatic pseudocysts may be managed with laparoscopic internal drainage (to the stomach, duodenum, or jejunum). Also, laparoscopic or retroperitoneoscopic necrosectomy has been used with success in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. At present, laparoscopic surgery has proven to be beneficial in patients with cystic pancreatic neoplasms and neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
The laparoscopic pancreatic approach was recently shown to be feasible and safe. Laparoscopy may contribute to reduced operation time and perioperative blood loss, and reduces surgical stress because of developments in devices, improvements in procedures, and advanced techniques.
Department of Surgery, IMD, Biliary and Pancreatic Unit, Hospital Clinic i Provincial de Barcelona, University of Barcelona, C/Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. lfcruz@clinic.ub.es
Laureano
L
Fernández-Cruz
Gleydson
G
Cesar-Borges
Miguel Angel
MA
López-Boado
David
D
Orduña
Salvador
S
Navarro
D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D010179:Pancreas / Q000601:surgery*; D010180:Pancreatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D010192:Pancreatic Pseudocyst / Q000601:surgery; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000601:surgery