A Prospective Randomized Trial of Efficacy of Stump Closure for Distal Pancreatectomy

Pancreatic surgery has been called formidable operation not only the technical challenge to surgeons but also demanding for patients. It evolved into a safe procedure with mortality rates of <5% recently, cutting down gradually from 25% in the 1960s. However, overall morbidity rate remained high ranging from 30% to 60%.

Distal pancreatectomy (DP) has been believed a safer and minor procedure compared with pancreatic head resection including standard pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD), or duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR). Whilst postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains serious and also is one of the most common complications after DP. Büchler et al observed that the POPF rate was in fact significantly higher after DP when compared to pancreatic head resections. The variable documented incidence of POPF following DP ranges from 12% to 40%. POPF after DP is also associated with major complications such as bleeding or septic shock and remains an equivocal problem.

Although the majority of complications are not life-threatening, POPF could prolong hospitalization, expend expenditure for healthcare, abrade the quality of life; moreover, delay in further management for a fraction of patients with malignancy. Over the past two decades, various risk factors and multitudinous operative procedures have been held for reduction POPD following DP. These include underlying disease process, method of stump closure, and concomitant splenectomy However, all these reports were retrospective review, non-randomized study, or individual experience. As always, this issue remains in obscurity and seek for a more concrete evidence to solve.