Laparoscopic pancreatic surgery

BACKGROUND: Potential applications for laparoscopic surgery in pancreatic disease include (Ij staging of pancreatic malignancies; (2) palliation of pancreatic: malignancies; (3) pancreatic resections for benign and malignant disease; and (4) pancreatic drainage procedures. METHODS: A review of the literature is presented. In addition, original data on a series of 5 laparoscopic pancreatic distal resections and 10 laparoscopic cystogastrostomies are presented. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopy may have a role in the staging of patients with pancreatic malignancies; however, with high-quality preoperative imaging, the! percentage of patients who will benefit from laparoscopy may be as low as 5%, For palliation, both cholecystoenterostomy and choledochoenterostomy can be performed laparoscopically. The former is technically straightforward but has a higher failure rate; the latter is technically difficult and currently not suitable for widespread adoption. Laparoscopic gastroenterostomy is a straightforward means of palliating gastrointestinal obstruction. Patients appear to benefit from laparoscopic distal pancreatic resection but not from laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy. Patients appear to benefit from laparoscopic pseudocyst decompression. (C) 1999 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.