Immediate results of spleen-preserving distal subtotal pancreatic resection

Aim. To assess the possibility of open spleen-preserving distal subtotal pancreatic resection for tumors of the body and tail of the pancreas.

Material and methods. A retrospective comparative analysis of the immediate results of the spleen-preserving interventions in 41 patients was carried out. Mainly benign tumors or tumors with a low malignancy potential of the corpus and (or) the tail of the pancreas were detected. Distal subtotal pancreatectomy with splenectomy was performed in 53 patients with pancreatic tumors of different histogenesis with low malignancy potential (control group).

Results. The duration of spleen-preserving distal subtotal pancreatectomy was 12 minutes shorter, compared with the distal subtotal pancreatectomy with splenectomy group (p = 0.180). Significantly lower volume of intraoperative blood loss during spleen-preserving procedure was noted – by 460 ml (p = 0.0001). The level of postoperative complications in the spleen-preserving pancreatectomy group was 15 (37%), while in the group of distal subtotal pancreatectomy with splenectomy was 26 (49%) (p = 0.227), respectively. External pancreatic fistula after spleenpreserving pancreatectomy was noted in 13 (32%) patients, in the other group in 21 (40%; p = 0.429). The duration of hospital stay did not statistically significantly differ in the compared groups and amounted to: 18.6 ± 6.9 and 20.3 ± 5.4 days (p = 0.123), respectively.

Conclusion. Open spleen-preserving pancreatectomy is a relatively safe type of surgical treatment for patients with benign tumors and tumors with a low potential for malignancy of the body and/or tail of the pancreas. The surgery is shorter in time, accompanied by a lower level of complications, significantly less intraoperative blood loss, compared with a similar procedure involving splenectomy.

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