Effects of Intraoperative Glycemic Management Strategies Assisted With RT-CGM on TIR and Postoperative Recovery During Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is the standard surgical procedure for treating malignancies of the pancreatic head, distal bile duct, and periampullary region. Due to its extensive scope, high demands for anastomosis, and prolonged operative time, PD is considered one of the most complex surgeries in general surgery. Perioperative management of PD presents unique challenges, particularly in glycemic control. In addition to stress-induced hyperglycemia caused by surgery, Patients with PD are more prone to perioperative glycemic disturbances compared to other surgeries. The main reasons include insulin resistance, resection of pancreatic tissue during surgery, and early postoperative nutritional support. However, perioperative glycemic management guidelines often receive limited attention. Several studies have reported low adherence to recommendations for glycemic monitoring and insulin administration among healthcare professionals. This issue is also evident during the perioperative period of PD, where demanding workloads may lead to neglect of glycemic management, and insulin therapy poses risks of hypoglycemia.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology uses subcutaneous electrodes to monitor interstitial glucose levels electronically. RT-CGM provides continuous, comprehensive, and reliable glycemic data, capturing trends and fluctuations in glucose levels, and identifying hidden hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. It overcomes the limitations of traditional glucose monitoring, such as pain from finger pricks, delayed assessments, and an inability to reflect glucose variability. The latest diabetes guidelines in China and the United States incorporate Time in Range (TIR), derived from CGM, as a new metric for glycemic control. CGM is gradually being used in glycemic management for diabetic patients, and its efficacy and safety have been consistently demonstrated in randomized controlled trials and real-world studies. A randomized controlled trial involving 299 patients with type 2 diabetes showed that CGM improved TIR by 7.9% over 12 months compared to fingerstick glucose monitoring.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is the standard surgical procedure for treating malignancies of the pancreatic head, distal bile duct, and periampullary region. Due to its extensive scope, the high demands for anastomosis, and prolonged operative time, PD is considered one of the most complex surgeries in general surgery. Perioperative management of PD presents unique challenges, particularly in glycemic control. In addition to stress-induced hyperglycemia caused by surgery, patients undergoing PD are more susceptible to perioperative glycemic disturbances than those undergoing other types of surgery. The primary factors contributing to this include insulin resistance, the resection of pancreatic tissue during surgery, and early postoperative nutritional support. However, perioperative glycemic management guidelines often receive limited attention, with several studies reporting poor adherence to recommendations for glycemic monitoring and insulin administration among healthcare professionals. This issue is particularly evident during the perioperative period of PD, where heavy workloads may lead to neglect of glycemic management, and insulin therapy may increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology uses subcutaneous electrodes to electronically monitor interstitial glucose levels. Real-time CGM (RT-CGM) provides continuous, comprehensive, and reliable glycemic data, capturing glucose trends and fluctuations while identifying hidden hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. It overcomes the limitations of traditional glucose monitoring, such as pain from finger pricks, delayed assessments, and an inability to reflect glucose variability. Both China and the United States have incorporated Time in Range (TIR) from CGM data as a key metric for glycemic control in their latest diabetes guidelines. CGM is increasingly used for managing glycemia in diabetic patients, with its efficacy and safety consistently demonstrated in randomized controlled trials and real-world studies. For instance, a randomized controlled trial with 299 patients with type 2 diabetes found that CGM improved TIR by 7.9% over 12 months compared to fingerstick glucose monitoring.

In recent years, the use of CGM has expanded to hospitalized patients, and its adoption is growing in clinical settings. However, compared to medical inpatients and ICU patients, surgical patients rarely use CGM, and studies on its use during surgery are limited. CGM systems measure interstitial glucose every minute and provide real-time alerts for values outside the target range. These alerts help clinicians intervene promptly to manage perioperative hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia, minimizing risks and reducing the burden of traditional blood glucose testing on both patients and medical staff. This study explores the benefits of CGM-assisted glycemic management during PD, promoting dynamic and precise glycemic control during PD.