Perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic and open distal pancreatectomy: our institution's 5-year experience.
BACKGROUND
Application of minimally invasive techniques in the surgical management of distal pancreatic lesions is increasing. Despite this, numbers of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy remain low and limited to treatment of benign and premalignant lesions.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of 31 patients who underwent distal pancreatectomy from 2005 to 2010. Patients were grouped according to mode of surgical access: open (ODP) or laparoscopic (LDP). Perioperative parameters were compared.


RESULTS
Twenty-one (67.7%) patients underwent ODP and 10 (32.3%) LDP (median age 61; 80.0% females in LDP group, p = 0.030). Postoperative morbidity rate were comparable between the two groups. In the LDP group, there were significantly lower estimated blood loss (p < 0.001) and amount of blood transfusion (p = 0.001), smaller tumor size (p = 0.010) and fewer lymph nodes harvested (p = 0.020), shorter postoperative length of stay (p = 0.020), and shorter length of stay in surgical high dependency (p = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
LDP is a safe, efficient technique for resection of benign and premalignant pancreatic lesions. Indices reflecting perioperative outcomes in this study are highly competitive with those in other major centers.
Department of Surgery, Digestive Disease Centre, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
Yu Feng
YF
Soh
Alfred Wei Chieh
AW
Kow
Kar Yong
KY
Wong
Bei
B
Wang
Chung Yip
CY
Chan
Kui Hin
KH
Liau
Choon Kiat
CK
Ho
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010180:Pancreatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome